The Energy Ministry has expressed shock at the posture of IES in its disingenuity in the happenings at the sector, thus, asking the IES not to shift the focus on the criminal acts in the sector.
On Wednesday April 10, the Institute of Energy Security (IES) cautioned the Energy Ministry to stop creating fear and panic that some unsuspected persons are sabotaging the sector to consequently plunge the country into another lingering state of power crisis.
The IES’s caution followed its finding that some pipelines torched in Tema last Sunday, only contained raw water, which the Energy Ministry suggested that the lines contained gas.
That news, the IES believed, was unfair and for the sector Ministry to again blame the destructions of some properties of the Ministry on some saboteurs, the IES said, was a calculated move to cause fear and panic in Ghana.
However, in a sharp rebuttal, Nana Kofi Damoah, Head of Communication at the Ministry of Energy, said the observations and comments by IES were done in error.
He went on to say that the IES and its Executive Director, Paa Kwasi Anamua Sakyi, did not do the usual checks they ought to have done before they came public to caution the Ministry.
“What is obvious is that some distortions have been created and they have gone ahead to draw conclusions based on these distortions. I never said anywhere that the pipelines in question belong to the VRA. I will be happy for the IES to prove this allegation if they can.
“I did not state that the pipelines are gas pipelines. Again proof of this will be appreciated if it is claimed I did. I said they were fuel pipelines and this is a fact that remains till today. Unless the IES wants to suggest that the only fuel in the world is gas, an explanation for this distortion is needed,” Mr Damoah said in a statement.
Aside the fact that the pipeline itself was torched by placing burning tyres on them, Mr Damoah said the pipelines are directly under GRIDCo lines, which could have been affected by the fire, had it not been for the vigilance of the security teams in the area.
“If raising alarm over such conduct is crying wolf, then I am guilty of crying wolf. I personally consider this intervention by the Think Tank as unfortunate as it only serves to obfuscate matters when we are seeking to rally Ghanaians to expose the actions of persons who seek to destroy critical infrastructure.
“I find it extremely disingenuous that at such a time as this, an attempt is being made to shift the focus of the discussion from the ongoing investigations. Worse of all is the fact that this intervention is based on distortions,” the sector Ministry’s statement stated.
By: Umar Sheriff/awakenewsonline.com
