His advise comes following several complaints of poor service at some embassies, and this was highlighted by a statement from the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XHDtD9ruC94Ez5yZv18KAYv0w6QL3Zc0″]The CPA at a press conference held at its premises, said it will compile these reports and meet with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a bid to find a lasting solution.

The Executive Director of the CPA, Kofi Kapito, speaking at the press conference, said ‘The CPA like we said, we have engaged various people; we want to collect evidence  – I don’t want any ‘connection man’ – I want genuine people who have genuine cases for them to contact us so that we will be able to collect the evidence and present it in our next meeting.’

‘Stop poor treatment of Ghanaians in embassies must stop ‘

Some minority members of Parliament have called on government to hold foreign missions accountable over reports of inhumane treatment meted out to Ghanaians.

Without singling out any particular embassy, the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, noted that the situation could affect diplomatic relations in Ghana if not checked.

Making a statement on the floor of Parliament, the North Tongu MP said: “the blot I speak of is the shabby and dehumanizing treatment sometimes meted out to many Ghanaian applicants virtually on a daily basis.”

He added that “there is also what many Ghanaian visa applicants consider to be extortionist conduct on the part of some of these embassies.”

Mr Ablakwa noted that, most embassies have made “no provision for a decent and safe waiting area where visa applicants may be hosted as they wait their turn during visa interview appointments.”

The calls from the MPs prompted the Speaker, Prof. Mike Oquaye, to direct the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament to immediately investigate claims that Ghanaians are being maltreated at some foreign missions in the country.

He directed the Foreign Affairs Committee to meet and deliberate on the issue, and visit some of the embassies

“Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs shall meet and deliberate on this matter through investigation and interrogation; and armed with a letter from the Speaker’s Office, they shall visit relevant embassies and places, analyse the problem, where necessary with the cooperation of Embassy staff, and our own foreign office, but independent of it, and report back to the House,” the Speaker said.

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By: Michael Ogbodu/citifmonine.com/Ghana

The post Report ‘inhumane’ treatment by Embassies – CPA urges Ghanaians appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Citi News analysis shows that the water level in the dam has been reducing steadily over the past few months and may result in the shutting down of the plant or a massive draw down in output in the next two months if the current trend continues. The dam was designed to operate at a minimum water level of 240 feet. Operating the plant at levels below 240 feet has the potential of damaging the turbines.

The water level recorded Sunday August 17 was 243.73 feet. The water level was at 243.79 feet on Saturday August 16.

A close study of the trend in the depreciation of the water level indicates an average reduction level of 0.06 feet per day. At this rate, the water level will hit the 240.00 feet minimum in approximately 62 days.

CEO of the Volta River Authority, Ing. Kirk Koffi has however dispelled the fears. He told Citi News that even in 2007 when the water level went below 240 feet, the dam did not shut down. He said the worst that could happen in the event of a drastic fall in the water level will be a reduction in production capacity.

Akosombo is Ghana’s biggest power plant and has an installed capacity of 1020 megawatts but it is currently producing just about 775 megawatts, which is 76% of installed capacity declared. A total shut down would leave Ghana with only 538 megawatts of electricity which will be woefully inadequate to power the nation.

The Bui Dam faced a similar situation earlier this year when the water levels fell below the minimum operating level of 168 masl.

The Bui Power Authority said it had been over-drafting at the time, a situation that almost led to damage to the multimillion dollar project.

The Authority said in a statement that: “As a result of the Bui Reservoir reaching the minimum operating level, the rate of power generation at Bui Generating Station has been reduced in order to protect the turbines from potential damage. This is because it is imprudent to operate the generating plant below the minimum operating level of the reservoir (168 masl), as this unduly exposes the turbines to higher risks of damage.”

Ghana requires 500 watts/capita to take a significant step towards industrialization, equivalent to 12500 megawatts. This means Ghana msust invest about $14.5 billion in the power sector to meet it needs in the medium to long term. The Atuabo Gas Project is expected to provide lean gas to increase generation by 540 megawatts. However, the project will not readily make any major impact now because of production issues.

At the time of publication, engineers of the Volta River Authority were in a meeting and are expected to release a statement on the state of Ghana’s power generation in the coming days.

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By: Kojo Akoto Boateng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Power crisis to worsen: Akosombo level nears minimum appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.