The Chairman of Parliament’s Energy and Petroleum Select Committee, Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah, has assured Ghana Gas of the committee’s commitment to supporting the company while demanding clarity on recent operational disruptions that raised public concern over gas supply to power plants.
Speaking during a working visit to the Ghana Gas processing plant, Mr. Bedzrah, who is also Member of Parliament for Ho West, said the committee’s visit formed part of its constitutional oversight mandate to ensure transparency, accountability and public confidence in key state institutions.
He explained that the committee had embarked on a nationwide inspection of agencies under the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, including both power and petroleum institutions.
“The Committee of Energy has jurisdiction over power and petroleum. We have close to 70 agencies under our watch, and so we thought it wise to use this period to visit some of these installations and understand their operations better,” he said.
Mr. Bedzrah noted that the committee had already toured institutions including BOST, Sunon Asogli Power Plant and Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company, with further visits scheduled for Aboadze Thermal Plant and other facilities.
He commended the management of Ghana Gas for the invitation and said the committee’s visit had been timely, especially following recent reports of operational challenges at the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.
“We are worried about what happened last week and the reports that came out. We are not too happy, so we will delve into the matter and know whether there is a major problem at Ghana Gas,” he stated.
According to him, the committee’s findings would help Parliament better appreciate the technical needs of the company and provide timely support when issues such as budget approvals and commitment authorisations are brought before the House.
“Our duty is to understand these operations so that when matters come before Parliament, we know exactly what is needed and can push for early approvals,” he added.
Vice Chairman of the committee and MP for Effiduase-Asokore, Collins Adomako-Mensah, also expressed concern about recurring reports of gas shutdowns and tripping incidents, saying such developments had become a matter of national concern.
“Everybody is concerned about the constant tripping and the news we hear about gas being shut down. The general public wants comfort that things have normalised,” he said.
Mr. Adomako-Mensah, however, assured Ghana Gas that the committee would work in unity, beyond partisan lines, to support the company through policy direction and parliamentary backing. “Whenever we come here, we come as a team, not as a minority or majority. We will assist Ghana Gas as a committee to ensure smooth operations,” he stressed.
He further praised the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gas, Ms. Judith Adjobah Blay, describing her as the first female CEO of the technically demanding institution and commending her leadership. “It is a very technical area, and I must commend her. So far, she has discharged her duties creditably,” he said.
The parliamentary delegation later toured sections of the plant to acquaint themselves with ongoing operations and maintenance works aimed at ensuring stable gas supply to the country’s thermal power plants.
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