Energy minister commended for exposing alleged PDS fraud

 

Adnan Adams Mohammed

An energy and financial expert has congratulated the Energy Minister for standing against all odds to expose the alleged fraud detected in the Power Distribution Services (PDS) deal.

It is very common in African politics to see persons who belong to the party in power to try and tow the government’s line. It is therefore refreshing that Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Mr. Peter Amewu, has virtually stepped aside from the main position taken by President Akufo-Addo’s government and not succumbing to its talking points on this PDS/ECG scandal, the Former Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Boss, Alex Mould said in his recent article.

Recalling events before and after the announcement and suspension of PDS deal; Mr. Peter Amewu during an interview on the AM Show on Joy News said, the Ghanaian government signed the concession agreement with the PDS in a hurry to meet its contractual demands. Mr. Amewu is the minister of Energy and therefore responsible for the ECG. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of MiDA. He is therefore somebody who is privileged to all the information and data that was considered for the award of this contract. So it is monumental for him to come out of the gates to accuse PDS of fraud when this scandal broke.

“One of the main reasons why I have asked Ghanaians to applaud Mr. Amewu is that there are quite a number of members of government, some highly-placed who are unhappy that whilst the government has, through the Minister of Information, Mr. Opong-Nkrumah, announced that it was going to start a 30-day investigative process, Mr. Amewu, the minister with supervisory authority over ECG, came out from the onset of this saga breaking out, to express his view that there was fraud; this must have been based on his direct involvement and privileged knowledge of the saga- the players, the process, the agreements, the approvals, the government support, cabinet discussions, negotiations with MCC etc etc” Mr Mould posited.

Apparently, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi, Mr. Andrew Mercer, speaking on the August 3, 2019 edition of Joy FM’s Newsfile programme, said the Energy Minister ‘misspoke’ when he said the concession agreement entered into by government with PDS was fraudulent. Yet, Mr. Amewu has not quivered in his position.

“I believe I am one of the many Ghanaians who are hoping that Mr. Amewu will appear before the Commission set up by to defend and elaborate on his position that there was fraud. While many in government and their hangers on are shooting arrows at anyone who dares speak on this scandal, Mr. Amewu remains steadfast in his pronouncement and his demonstration of his allegiance to the Republic first and not to party,” Mr Mould said.