Member of Parliament for Sawla-Tuna-Kalba constituency and deputy ranking member of Parliament Select Committee on Works and Housing, Hon. Andrew Dari Chiwitey, has summonned the Minister for Energy to Parliament over non-supply of power to six communities in his constituency.
According to the MP, the communities that were to benefit electricity under the rural electrification project started in 2016, but have since been abandoned.
The six communities includes Nasolyiri, Sanyeri, Kpongri, Soma, Goyiri and Gaundo.
“Mr. Speaker, “I rise to ask the Minister for Energy when the following communities under the rural electrification will be completed ,thus; Nasolyiri, Sanyeri, Kpongri, Soma, Goyiri and Gaundo? the MP asked.
In response, the Minister for Energy, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempreh said the Nasolyiri, Sanyeri, Kpongri and Soma communities formed part of the Ministry of Energy’s ongoing Self Help Project (SHEP-5) under the Rural Electrification Project in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region.
According to the sector Minister, “514 out of 799 High Voltage (HV) poles required for Nasolyiri, Sanyeri and Soma have been supplied and planted at the site.”
He said the remaining poles are yet to be acquired and will be supplied when available.
The minister added that most of the Low Voltage (LV) poles required have been supplied and planted in all the communities.
The Ministry is however yet to supply LV pole-top accessories to allow for stringing to commence,” he added.
Dr. Prempreh explained that the delays in the execution of the electrification project in the four communities are a result of a shortage of some key materials and equipment including conductors, stay wire, LV poles, among others.
The Ministry, he noted “is taking some deliveries of materials/equipment and will arrange for the release of same for installation works to resume at site.”
He however assured that Nasolyiri, Sanyeri and Soma communities project is expected to complete the installation works by end of the year 2021 while that of Kpongri is expected to be completed by 2022.
The sector minister indicated that Goyiri and Gaundo were not part of the project and will be considered in subsequent projects.
The MP who seemed not pleased with the response of the minister demanded for a timeline for the completion of the projects which the minister said as and when the materials are available he supply to the beneficiary communities.
Hon.Andrew, indicated that the people of Kpongri had a challenged with him during the 2020 campaign season for failure of their community not connected to the National Grid and wasn’t happy the community project has been pushed to 2022 without a timeline.
“For the past four years not a single community in my constituency has been connected to the National Grid which I think is not the best”, the MP said.
According to him procuring of the materials for the project is long overdue because same response of lack of materials was given to him when he questioned the former sector minister in October 2017 on the abandonment of the projects.
Source: yagbonradioonline
