Former Minister of Power, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, has criticized the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for donating 200 motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service.
The Ghana Police Service received the donation on Monday, December 11, 2023, as part of ECG’s initiative to enhance police operations across the country.
Dr. Donkor, who is also a Member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament representing Pru East, expressed his disappointment with the donation.
He deemed it highly irresponsible, especially considering ECG’s substantial indebtedness to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Dr. Donkor called on the Ministers of Energy and State Enterprises to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
In his statement to journalists, Dr. Kwabena Donkor emphasized that ECG, grappling with financial challenges and needing intervention from the Minister of Finance to avert a shutdown of Sonon Asorgli, had no business assuming the state’s responsibility to provide logistics for the Ghana Police.
He labeled the act as the “height of irresponsibility” on the part of ECG’s management and urged swift action to address the situation.
“I read with shock on Tuesday that the Electricity Company of Ghana had donated 200 motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service. Ordinarily, any such donation would have attracted my approval. But with this particular one, ECG has no business taking over the responsibility of the state to provide logistics for the Ghana Police. ECG is in debt for billions of cedis. Indeed, 2 weeks ago, the Minister of Finance had to intervene to stop Sonon Asorgli from shutting down because of ECG’s indebtedness to IPPs. For an entity that cannot pay its indebtedness, they have no business buying motors for the Ghana Police. It is the height of irresponsibility on the Management of ECG to donate motorbikes to the Ghana Police when they cannot pay their debt. I call on the Ministers of Energy and State Enterprises to call the ECG management to book.”