By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The Senior Staff of Volta River Authority (VRA) and Public Services Workers’ Union of Trades Union Congress, a divisional branch of the VRA, have petitioned Parliament to reject the proposed merger of VRA and Bui Power Authority to form Ghana Hydro Authority.
They say the proposed merger of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to form the “Ghana Power Distribution Authority” and the separation of VRA’s thermal assets to create the “Ghana Thermal Authority” is nothing but a deliberate ploy to completely obliterate the name “Volta River Authority” and the significance of the visionary leader Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who pioneered the establishment of VRA, from the history of Ghana.
Addressing the media in Parliamentary on Thursday, October 17, Theophilus Tetteh Ahia, the National Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of VRA, said, “we see these mergers as a measure to weaken the Authority and the stability of electricity pricing in Ghana, hence our opposition to the objectives of the mergers, as outlined below: Ghana Hydro Authority Bill, 2024.”
The said the proposed bill seeks to merge the hydropower assets of the Volta River Authority (VRA) with that of the Bui Power Authority (BPA) along with their renewable energy assets to create the “Ghana Hydro Authority”.
The objectives for consolidating the Volta River Authority and the Bui Power Authority assets are intended to:
1. Improve operational efficiency.
2. Attract private sector financing into the operations of state-owned power plants.
3. Minimize financial support from the government and,
4. Minimize the cost of power generation and ultimately the cost of power supply to consumers, but Mr. Ahia told journalists that “they are nothing but attempts to sell strategic national assets to private individuals and political actors” and called on the President, the Vice President, and the Ministry of Energy to abandon these proposed bills.
“We also call on the Honourable Speaker of Parliament and the Parliament of Ghana to reject these proposed bills based on the reasons outlined in this petition,” he added.
According to him, the staff of VRA and NEDCo, with the support of Ghanaians as mandated by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which states, among other responsibilities of the citizen in Article 41(f), “to protect and preserve public property and expose and combat misuse and waste of public funds and property”, shall use all legitimate means to resist the passage of these bills.
The proposed merger bills in question included: 1, Ghana Hydro Authority Bill, 2024 nana Thermal Authority Bill, 2024 — Ghana Power Distribution Authority Bill, 2024 4. Ghana Nuclear Corporation Bill, 2024
BACKGROUND
The workers of VRA and NEDCo oppose the Bill in its entirety. Their opposition is premised on many factors, but not limited to the fact that the name “Volta River Authority” is a brand and an intangible asset, a goodwill nurtured for over 63 years, and the envy of many countries across the globe.
The existence of the “Volta River” in the name “Volta River Authority” emphasises the river’s central role in generating power, thus conveying the organisation’s role and responsibility in managing and harnessing the river’s resources for development.
The “Volta River Authority” is a distinct and memorable name, setting the organisation apart from others. It honours the cultural significance of the Volta River, which is deeply rooted in our Ghanaian heritage, and it is a legacy of Ghana’s evolution from colonial rule to an independent state, aiming for industrial and economic self-reliance, which must not be lost.