Ministry to spend GH¢750,000 to fight menace of black flies

Page 13, Oct 30, 2010

Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Ministry of Energy is to spend GH¢750,000 over the next three years to fight the menace of black flies, which has become a nuisance towards the implementation of the Bui Project, the sector minister, Mr Joe Oteng-Adjei has told Parliament.
He said the black fly population within the project area became a major problem to the implementation of the project when the contractor's expatriate workers expressed serious health concerns about the effects of being bitten by the flies.
Dr Oteng-Adjei was answering a question posed by the Member of Parliament for Tain, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim on measures that had been put in place to control the nuisance of the flies which threatened the smooth implementation of the project.
He explained that the Bui Power Authority thus consulted the Ghana Health Service, Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Ngouchi Memorial Institute who had recommended the pursuit of control programme to deal with the menace.
Dr Oteng-Adjei stated that the Black Fly Nuisance Control Programme, which had been instituted had been segmented into short and long term plans.
He said the ministry was expecting that activities to control the pest would start immediately after the end of the 2010 rainy season adding that already GH¢250,000 had been advanced towards the programme.
However, a follow-up question by Mr K.T Hammond, MP for Adanse Asokwa about the viability of the Bui Project generated a lot of heat when the minister felt offended when Mr Hammond said it was unfortunate that after two years in office, he had not been able to appreciate the viability of the project.
Dr Oteng-Adjei, who felt offended, said it was unfortunate for the MP to make such a disparaging remark about him and remarked “if he has any personal problem with me, he should not bring it to the floor of the House”.
Answering another main question posed by Mr Hammond, Dr Oteng-Adjei informed the House that the Petroleum Agreement between the government and the GNPC on one hand, and AKER ASA had not been abrogated.
He explained that parties to the agreement had reached mutually satisfactory and amicable termination agreement, which was awaiting execution.
Dr Oteng-Adjei added that the basis for the termination of the agreement was “substantive and procedural or technical” adding that AKER ASA, being a Norwegian Company not registered as an external company under the country's company code lacked the legal capacity to acquire exploration and production rights or to be a party to the petroleum agreement.
However, Mr Hammond and other members of the Minority side challenged the basis for the parties to agree to terminate an agreement that had been reached through a resolution by Parliament without bringing it back to the House.
Mr Hammond also asked the minister whether the GNPC had reached an agreement with KOSMOS Energy Ghana Limited on the disposal or sale of KOSMOS Energy's stake in the Jubilee Field.
Answering the question, the minister said information available to him did not support the assertion that GNPC had reached agreement with KOSMOS Energy Ghana Limited on disposal on its stake in the Jubilee field.
Dr Oteng-Adjei also told the House that as part of measures to mitigate the effect of impounding the Bui Dam on the Akosombo and Kpong stations, a 100 megawatt had to be available from other fuel sources by 2011 to make up for the shortfall in energy requirements of the country.
He explained that to date a 180 MW Sunon-Asogli Thermal Power Plant had been commissioned and in commercial operation while two other plants, the Tema Osonor Plant 126 MW and Takoradi 3 Thermal Power Plant, 132 MW were under construction to get additional power for the country.
Answering a follow-up question, Dr Oteng-Adjei told the House that part of the gas being received by Ghana from the West Africa Gas project had been directed to the Sunon-Asogli Thermal Power plant to enable it generate power to cater for the expected shortfall.
Meanwhile, the Presidential (Transition) Bill, 2010 to oversee a smooth transition from one president to the other was laid before the House by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu.
The Health Institutions and Facilitates Bill, 2010 was also laid before the House to go through its first reading stage.