Effia Member of Parliament and a member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Isaac Boamah-Nyarko, has cautioned that Ghana’s entire energy sector risks collapse if the growing impact of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, is not urgently addressed.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Friday, October 3, following a working visit by the Energy Committee to major power institutions including ECG, GRIDCo, VRA, and Bui Power, the MP said engagements with these agencies revealed the scale of the threat posed by galamsey to the country’s energy infrastructure.
“This particular visit gave the committee members a better understanding of the operations and challenges these agencies face. For the first time, MPs had open and relaxed conversations with sector players, which allowed them to share their concerns freely,” he explained.
Boamah-Nyarko said it was through these frank discussions that he realized the severity of the situation, warning: “If we are not very careful, our entire energy sector is also going to collapse.”
His comments echo warnings by GRIDCo officials, who described the situation as a “near disaster.” GRIDCo’s Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Engineering and Operations, Frank Otchere, revealed that illegal miners were encroaching dangerously close to high-voltage transmission towers, especially in right-of-way areas cleared for line maintenance.
He explained that such encroachment weakens tower foundations, raising the risk of grid instability and potential collapse. In some instances, GRIDCo has had to reinforce towers urgently to avert disaster.
Even more alarming, Otchere disclosed that maintenance teams have come under attack from armed individuals while on duty, forcing staff in certain areas to flee for their safety.
“There are some areas that even when our maintenance teams are going, they get shot at,” he said, calling for immediate national security intervention to safeguard critical energy assets, since GRIDCo alone cannot contain the growing threat.
Source:Africa Publicity
