The National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Yamin has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP), of lacking originality and instead resorting to renaming and recommissioning projects initiated by the NDC.
Yamin asserted that the NPP, under President Akufo-Addo’s leadership, has a track record of halting ongoing projects initiated by the NDC, only to resume them later and claim credit by renaming or recommissioning them.
“The NPP are good at renaming and recommissioning projects initiated by others, track record proves that the NPP has nothing to their name but only want to build upon what the NDC government has already initiated or completed,” Yamin said to Nana Yaa Brefo and Isaac Ekow JB on Yen Nsempa, Onua FM’s Yen Nsempa on April 17.
His comments were prompted by the recent decision of the NPP government to rename the AMERI plant to Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant (KITPP) and recommission it in Kumasi, purportedly to address the ongoing energy crisis (dumsor).
Yamin criticized this move, stating, “Relocating it doesn’t mean you are bringing something new into existence” but rather causing financial loss to the state as it comes with a cost of $35 million for this to be executed.
The NDC has since raised concerns about the hefty price tag associated with such renaming and recommissioning exercises, emphasizing the need for genuine infrastructural development rather than cosmetic changes.
Yamin also cited examples to bolster his claims. He pointed to the Ridge Hospital, originally built and commissioned by former NDC Flagbearer John Dramani Mahama, which was recommissioned by President Akufo-Addo in 2017.
Similarly, he highlighted the Kumasi International Airport project, where work was paused by the NPP only to be resumed later with the same contractors and timeline.
“If you would remember Ridge Hospital was built by the Flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama and it was already commissioned by the NDC but when you go to Ridge you will realise on a plaque that Nana Addo has recommissioned it in 2017, for Nana Addo and his people, that is what they are great at.
“Also at Kumasi International Airport, contractors were on-site, Nana Addo put a hold on the works being done only for him to come back a year later to re-cut sod for the project, a sod the NDC has already cut for and to re-award the contract to the contractor who was originally working on the project with the same duration of time.
The AMERI Power Plant was procured in 2015 under a build-own-operate and transfer arrangement to produce a total of 250 megawatts of power to shore up Ghana’s energy generation capacity.
However, according to the NDC, the decision to rename and relocate the plant to Anwomaso in the Ashanti Region is unrealistic and costly.