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| President Kufuor’s Headache |
6/1/2007 |
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President John Agyekum Kufuor has assured the public that Government was leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to tackle the current energy crisis facing the country. Citing the energy, drug menace and strikes on the labour front as the major crises confronting the nation, he noted Government had put in place strategic measures to ensure that sanity prevailed in the country.
The President gave the assurance yesterday when members of the Council of State called on him at the Castle, Osu, as part of their 2nd quarterly meeting with the President.President Kufuor indicated that Government, in 2001, foresaw that the nation needed to boost up its energy, hence Government’s decision to own shares in the West African Gas Pipe Line and also import emergency strategic plants.
He said as part efforts to boost up the energy supply systems in the country, the Bui Hydro-electric Dam project would be opened at the end of June, adding that Government had urged private corporate bodies to get involved in solving the energy crisis. “Government is also targeting other scientific measures including the use of coal as a source of energy production on a long term basis.” The President therefore pleaded with Ghanaians to support Government in its efforts to rectify the energy crisis.He decried the turbulent labour front in the country, citing the current strike by staff of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) as one of the plaques that had hit Government, and pledged his administration’s support to salvage the situation.
Commenting on the drug menace, President Kufuor remarked that Government was on the verge of reconstituting the NACOB security measures and also working with international partners to help clamp down on culprits. According to the President, the introduction of the new Ghana Cedi, which comes into operation in July, was a BoG policy aimed at protecting the nation’s currency against devaluation.He therefore called for the cooperation of the entire nation to promote the smooth transition of the new currency.
President Kufuor, who described the year as very eventful in terms of development projects and bilateral relations with developed countries, said road projects were ongoing, adding, “Agreement has been completed on the Achimota-Ofankor to Nsawam dual carriage road.”He also described the upcoming Accra AU Summit scheduled to take place in July as a very historic event which was a roadmap to the Union Government in Africa.
Professor Daniel Adzei Bekoe, Chairman of the Council on behalf of members, urged the President to give early consideration to alternative sources of generating electricity in order to provide more energy security for the nation. The Council expressed its delight about the construction of the Bui Hydro-electric Dam which was about to begin and advised that in all public statements, Government should be careful and give accurate estimates of timings in order not to raise expectations too high.
The Council expressed also, its intention to liaise with the Police Council to make sure that their common interests in improving terms and conditions of personnel of the Police Administration were covered in the strategic document to ensure good policing in the country.
Last Updated ( Friday, 01
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