The Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, made a significant statement with his leadership style, blending politics and tradition with religion to achieve social cohesion and inclusion.
He interacted with the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, and a delegation from the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana, led by Rev. Dr. Stephen Yenusom Wengam.
Dr. Prempeh’s visit to the traditional ruler of the Abuakwa State on Thursday, June 20, 2024 sought the revered traditional ruler’s wisdom and guidance.
“Osagyefo’s wise and fatherly counsel has been invaluable, shaping many aspects of my personal and political life and so this was another profound opportunity to listen to his words of wisdom,” Napo wrote on his Facebook and X pages moments after the visit.
The King of the Akyem Abuakwa Kingdom, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, in welcoming the Energy Minister, lauded his humility and dedication to Ghana’s development.
He praised Napo’s gesture of seeking wisdom and wise counsel from traditional authorities in his work.
Later, on Friday, June 21, 2024 Dr. Prempeh, in a gesture of interfaith dialogue and collaboration, welcomed a delegation from the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana.
“The nexus between politics and religion are though distinct, the two are intertwined in their impact on society,” he underscored.
He stressed the need for a just, compassionate and inclusive society, built on shared values of integrity, empathy and service that underpin both political and religious leadership.
Rev. Wengam and his team prayed for Napo and offered intercessory prayers for the country’s political leaders.
Ghana Not in Energy Crisis
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has, meanwhile, demonstrated his expertise in finding sustainable solution to Ghana’s energy needs on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 when he addressed questions from Minority Members of Parliament (MPs), regarding power rationing and electricity cuts experienced in some parts of the country, a couple of weeks ago.
Dr. Prempeh, affectionately called Napo, told the legislators at a plenary sitting that the energy sector under his watch had not plunged into crisis, warranting load-shedding due to power outages.
He explained that the power outages experienced two months ago were not due to a power crisis but rather unforeseen factors, such as rapid population growth and increased business setups.
For instance, Dr. Prempeh noted that areas like East Legon, initially planned as residential districts, have transformed into business hubs, overloading existing power lines and transformers.
This surge in demand, combined with an unexpected gas leak at Cen Power, resulting in an instant power loss of 340 Mega Watts and maintenance at Amandi Power Plant, led to power outages.
GRIDCo also requested emergency outages in some areas, exacerbating the situation.
These incidents were unplanned, making it impossible for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to announce a scheduled load-shedding program, he emphasised.
“Mr. Speaker, a myriad of factors caused power outages in different parts of the country at different times. ECG couldn’t have announced a load-shedding program because most incidents were unplanned,” he noted.
Dr. Prempeh made these remarks in response to an urgent question from the NDC MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor, on behalf of the NDC MP for Tamale North, Alhassan S. Suhuyini, who was absent.
Dafeamekpor asked if the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) had been load-shedding power, and if not, why the power outages occurred.
Despite providing clarity, some Minority MPs pressed for more information on the current power situation, as the original question referred to the situation two months prior.
Dr. Prempeh maintained that the ECG is not undertaking a scheduled load-shedding program but will address any challenges that arise to ensure stable power distribution.
