The Volta River Authority (VRA) staff has characterized a draft bill that seeks to combine the authority with the Bui Power Authority as a ruse to form a new company that will subsequently be sold.
Theophilus Tetteh Ahia, the chairman of the Senior Staff Association of VRA, claimed in an interview with Eyewitness News on Citi FM that the law simply intends to split the thermal power plant in order to facilitate the merger, which he claimed would be bad for Ghana.
It is not necessary for the VRA and the Bui Power Plant to join in order for them to become more efficient, he informed Nana Tuffour Boateng.
“We oppose this merger completely and we think it is not in the best interest of this country. VRA has been in the system for over 53 years and VRA has operated efficiently and no other entity in the sub-region has operated a hydro plant better than the Volta River Authority.
“Bui has done the same since its inception and they have been very efficient so what is the need to merge Bui to VRA?
“This is just a facade to deceive Ghanaians that we are joining Bui and VRA together and separating the VRA Thermal Power Plant from VRA into an authority and it doesn’t make sense. You are separating the Thermal Power Plant from the VRA to create an entity and sell it and why are we so much into selling state institutions?”
According to a statement from the VRA on September 4, the proposed draft bill seeks to create an independent Thermal Power Authority, consolidate the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) with the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), and join the VRA with Bui Power Authority.
