Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency, Dorcas Affo-Toffey has said the Osagyefo Power Barge which is situated at Effasu in the Western Region of Ghana is a property of the constituency hence her demand for a probe into the alleged illegal dismantling of the facility. The MP says she has had calls and messages from persons who are interested in details of the facility after her demand.
The Jomoro MP on Thursday, June 29 asked the Deputy Minister for Energy, William Owurako Aidoo for an update on the facility in parliament. The Deputy Minister in response said a private company known as Misask Limited has illegally dismantled almost 90% of the Osagyefo Power Barge. He said it was confirmed by a survey conducted by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, GNPC the company has dismantled about 90% of the barge without due process. He also added that Misak Limited has been directed to share the proceeds from the sold parts of the facility with the government.
However, The MP who was not satisfied with the response by the deputy minister called for legal actions to be taken against Misak Limited. But in a new development, the MP says her demand has caused reactions among the masses for she which provided answers to. Excerpts from a post on social media reads ”The Osagyefo Power Barge, also known as the Osagyefo Floating Power Station was originally built in 1947 as a cargo ship called “MV Volta River,” which served as a vessel for transporting goods along the Volta River in Ghana. In the 1990s, Ghana faced severe power shortages, and the then Rawlings government sought solutions to address the energy crisis”.
”The decision was made to convert the MV Volta River into a power-generating facility. The transformation involved retrofitting the ship with power-generating equipment, including gas turbines and generators. After the conversion, the ship was renamed the Osagyefo Power Barge in honor of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.’’ She said.
She added that ”The Osagyefo Power Barge has played a crucial role in Ghana’s power generation infrastructure, helping to stabilize the electricity supply and meet the growing demand for energy in the country. It has been an important asset in Ghana’s efforts to provide reliable and accessible electricity to its citizens. In long-run one will understand that, even though the power barge is operated/ controlled by the central government but a property of the JOMORO CONSTITUENCY’’. She concluded.
In 2015, the Ministry for Energy directed the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to take over ownership of the barge. However, due to a prolonged legal dispute, the GNPC was unable to carry out any maintenance activities on the barge, leading to its deterioration from excessive corrosion.
