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| Power Minister |
The
Minister of Power, Dr. Kwabena Donkor has inaugurated a 52.6 million Ghana cedi
electricity substation at Nyankpala in the Tolon District in the Northern
Region for the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
The 34.5 kilovolts primary substation and
its associated distribution lines would address systemic inadequacies such as
suppressed demand, excessive long lines, lack of capacity due to overloaded
transformers, undesirable voltages among others.
Government in 2013 secured a grant from the
government of Japan for some power projects. The grant was meant to improve the
power distribution system at some selected areas across the country. The Nyankpala project would create additional opportunities for NEDCo to
connect many households to the national grid. This by extension would also
afford NEDCo the opportunity to increase its revenue generation and capacity.
Inaugurating the
facility, Dr. Kwabena Donkor commended the government of Japan
for the grant and technical support provided for the project. Dr. Donkor
acknowledged that NEDCo since its establishment had had a number of challenges
which the government and ministry was committed to resolving.
He said in strengthening a distribution utility that served 64 percent
land mass of the country, the people had a right to quality, reliable and
improved service. He stressed that he would not rest on his oars in assisting
NEDCo to improve its capacity, both operationally and strategically.
The Minister of Power also expressed dismay
at the recent vandalism of the offices and equipment of NEDCo by some unknown
assailants in the Tamale Metropolis. Dr. Kwabena Donkor condemning the act,
vowed to deal ruthlessly with the perpetrators of such a crime.
It would be recalled that recently some
unknown assailants stormed the commercial service office of NEDCo in Tamale to
vandalize equipment and property in protest over routine power outages in their
vicinity.
The Tamale Metropolitan Security Committee (METSEC) placed a 5,000 Ghana
cedi bounty on the perpetrators of the crime. But no one has since been
arrested up till date.
Dr. Kwabena Donkor condemned the act and
said he would not hesitate to relocate the head office of NEDCo to Techiman in
the Brong-Ahafo Region if such acts of vandalism continued. He said he would
absolutely have no regret in taking such a decision, noting that the era of
vandalism particularly in Tamale must come to an end.
The Power Minister made a call to the Regent
of Dagbon Kampakuya Naa Abdulai Yakubu to advise the people of Tamale in
particular, that as a minister, he would not tolerate their behaviour.
The Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Abdul-Basit Fuseini also
observed that the power substation would contribute significantly in the
stabilization and efficient distribution of power in the region.
He urged residents to take advantage of the availability of the power to
facilitate and expand their businesses so as to improve upon their income
levels.
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