The Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh yesterday swore-in the board of directors for three agencies under his ministry in three separate ceremonies in Accra.
They are the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the Energy Commission (EC) and the Volta River Authority (VRA).
The boards are to provide strategic direction and governance for the three organisations to ensure the attainment of their goals.
The seven- member board of GNPC has Mr Frederick Worsemao Blay (Chairman of the New Patriotic Party) (NPP) as Board Chair with Dr K.K. Sarpong, Yaa Naa Andani Yakubu Abdulai V, Mr Martin Kwakye Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, Mr Yaw Kyei and Ama Gyamfua Abrefa as members.
The Energy Commission on the other hand has as its Chair, the Immediate Past Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu with Oscar Kojo Amonoo-Neizer, Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, Dr Isaac Frimpong Mensa-Bonsu, Moses Aristophanes Kwame Gyasi, Dari Bismark Harruna and Lydia Seyram Alhassan as members.
Mr Kofi Tutu Agyare ; founder and director of Nubuke Foundation Chairs the VRA Board which has Mr Emmanuel Twum Antwi Darkwa, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi and Reverend Dr Joyce Rosalind Aryee, Most Rev Dr.Cyril K Ben Smith, Mr Musa Badimsugru Adam, Solomon Adjetey Sowah and Janet Anane as members.
Swearing them in, Dr Opoku Prempeh said the energy sector was fast changing and this change had made it imperative for the country to act.
According to him, the issue of energy transition meant the country had to be forward looking and the Energy Commission must lead the charge.
“We are in very turbulent times as far as the world is concerned with the climate change agenda and all our responsibilities as an oil producing country and the effect of the carbon loaded discussions”, he said.
The Minister said the government would require the commission to lead in its advocacy role since it was very much needed to get the ordinary Ghanaian understand some of the actions to be taken by the government to mitigate these effects.
He said the appointment of the members of the boards demonstrated the confidence the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had in them as individuals and as a collective.
The Minister of Energy therefore, charged them to work within the ambits of the Act that established them to ensure that they develop, regulate and ensure utilisation of the country’s energy resources in a sustainable manner.
On behalf of his colleagues, the board chair of the Energy Commission, Professor Owusu thanked the president for the confidence reposed in them and pledged to deliver in their mandate.
He said, it was necessary to build strong institutions if the country wanted to develop as a result, members of the board would work towards achieving that.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
