VRA staff in Aboadze enclave hit the streets over plans to privatise the Authority

Junior and Senior staff Unions of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Aboadze enclave in the Western Region on Wednesday embarked on a peaceful demonstration to register their opposition to what they say is government’s plans to privatize the Authority’s assets.

Government has laid a draft bill which aims to merge VRA with Bui Power Authority, combine the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) with the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), and establish an independent Thermal Power Authority.

It is this proposed merger that the staff are up in arms against. They say, Ghana stands to lose if this is carried through. On Wednesday, the workers, clad in red and bearing placards some of which read, “Energy sector merger is not necessary”, “VRA is not for sale” and “VRA is efficient”, walked in a procession accompanied by brass band music from the main gate to their accommodation facilities to the main gate of the plant.

Vice Chairman of the Senior Staff Association, Ing. James Adotey, in an interview with 3News’ Ewurama Smith posited that the merger of the various institutions and separation of the thermal plant is not in the right direction and will not serve the interest of the people of Ghana.

According to him, “the separation of the thermal facility basically means that it would be sold, that is what we have heard.”

“Currently we have the lowest price on the market and they have cited inefficiency, but the plants they describe as efficient sell power at more expensive rates than us. So, why the need for separation?”, he asked.

“Moreover, as an organization, we are making substantial profits so what is the essence of the separation? It will not help. Last year, 2023, we declared 287 million cedis as profit, so we are not a burden to government,” he stated.

Ing. Adotey indicated giving the thermal to a private investor means that they are going to control about 75% of the nation’s energy requirement which he said is a recipe for disaster.

“Moreover, we were not consulted (Management and staff) when this draft bill was laid in Parliament, and we think it is not in our interest.”

“If we pick the current situation, the price waterfall, VRA is the last to be paid and is the only organization in terms of the regime that is paid in Cedis,” Ing. Adotey bemoaned.

He said they do not understand why though the IPPs are paid in dollars, which is a burden on the people of Ghana, government will not slow these things down and wants to give more assets to the private sector.

“We say that we need to be consulted and jaw-jaw to see how best we can improve the system against any inefficiencies “.

“Energy is a national security thing so you cannot wake up and give it to private people to manage. It is a diabolic act, and we will not sit down for this to happen under our watch”, he added.

Ewurama Smith

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