\u201cWe urge all VRA staff to disregard the conflicting messages as to the suspension of our legitimate actions aimed at bringing to the attention of the good people of Ghana the overt and covert action of the perpetrators [Power Ministry].\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe further wish to reiterate our collective resolve to the salvage the assets of the Volta River Authority that the perpetrators are bent on dissipating.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter to the staff also explained that the negotiations with the Power Ministry have been postponed to August 15, 2016 to allow the VRA division of the Power Sector Workers Union (PSWU) to participate in an upcoming TUC congress in Kumasi.<\/p>\n
What the Power Minster said<\/strong><\/p>\n Deputy Power Minister, John Jinapor, told the media after meeting with the staff unions of VRA, that the strike had been called off due to plans of a scheduled meeting on 15th August with key stakeholders to address the concerns raised.<\/p>\n \u201cThere will not be any strike. On the 15th\u00a0of this month [August], we shall have a meeting here. The Ministry of Finance will be a part of it, the Board of VRA will be part of it as well as the Energy Commission and some other stakeholders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr.\u00a0Jinapor also explained that the Power Ministry ultimately planned to return the T3 plant back to the VRA.<\/p>\n \u201cOur objective is to strategically position VRA. Our objective is to invest in VRA and get the private sector to partner with them. We are not giving out the T3 plant. We took some decisions to bring in a strategic partner. Ultimately we intend sending the T3 plant to VRA but we haven\u2019t made that decision yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Background<\/strong><\/p>\n The rift with the Power Ministry came to light when a letter sighted by Citi News conveyed the\u00a0discontent<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0of VRA staff with moves by the Ministry to cede the T3 plant in the Aboadze thermal enclave, MRP at the Tema Thermal Power station and a parcel of land at the Kpone Thermal Power Station to external parties.<\/p>\n They further served notice they will protest against the Ministry of Power over what they called the interference of the Ministry in the affairs of the authority.<\/p>\n The letter, addressed to the Chief Executive of the VRA, explained that the staff \u201cresolved to utilize all available lawful means to resist the perpetration of unwarranted dissipation of the Authority\u2019s assets.\u201d<\/p>\n The staff asserted that the listed entities \u201care a clear crucial to the sustenance of the Volta River Authority as a major player in the energy sector in Ghana and the West Africa Sub-region.\u201d<\/p>\n ACEP\u2019s defence of the VRA<\/strong><\/p>\n The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) sided with the VRA staff warning that the decision to cede the Aboadze T3 Plant to AMERI will weaken the VRA in the power sector.<\/p>\n ACEP argued that such a move could \u201cinjure the strategic role the Volta River Authority (VRA) is playing in ensuring our energy balance is not compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/62.jpg\")
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