The Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE), Benjamin Nsiah, has criticized the Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana for its strong opposition to the privatization of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The government recently reached a consensus to privatize ECG, a move touted by President John Dramani Mahama as part of efforts to address inefficiencies in the country’s power distribution system.
However, members of PUWU have expressed total disagreement with the government’s decision.
In an interview on Happy 98.9FM’s Epa Hoa Daben Show with host Bismark Brown, energy analyst Benjamin Nsiah labeled PUWU’s opposition as blackmail and urged the union to stop resisting the decision. “PUWU has to stop this blackmail,” he said.
Mr. Nsiah alleged that PUWU’s stance stems from concerns that privatization would expose and address irregularities allegedly condoned by some union members. “Anytime the government wants to involve the private sector—private hands, private equity, or capital to instill discipline—these individuals, who bring huge debts to the state, hide actual figures from the government, and engage in illicit activities, come out to oppose it,” he disclosed.
The Center for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy CEO emphasized that privatizing ECG is a critical step needed to sustain Ghana’s electricity supply. “As technical persons in the industry who have an idea of the expenses and operations of ECG, we think that the privatization of ECG would be the best option if we want to sustain the supply of electricity in Ghana,” he explained.
