A veteran journalist and Board Chairman of Ghana’s power transmission company, GRIDCo, Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere, has urged journalists who report on Ghana’s energy to seek knowledge and understanding about the operations of the energy sector in order to churn out accurate reportage.
He said understanding the operations of the energy sector better begins with knowing the history of electricity in Ghana, including the laws that regulate the sector.
“A well-informed and educated media will not fall prey to the politicisation of electricity. We have this kind of media; they will set the agenda, educate the public about the real situation as Bob Marley will put it,” he added.
Ambassador Blay-Amihere, who was delivering a keynote speech at a media training organised by Energy News Africa on February 13, 2024, at GIMPA, stressed that “if the media understands the sector very well, they will not readily blame frontline players in the sector, such as VRA, GRIDCo and ECG, every time the lights go out in our homes or offices.”
He said they would rather notice and tell the stories of very hard-working professionals, technicians, engineers and maintenance guys who traverse valleys, forests and climb hills, keep long hours in control rooms to keep our lights on.
The veteran journalist noted that electricity had become so politicised and that with electricity now, like oxygen, the fate of governments and the chances of opposition parties winning elections are linked to electricity.
“The media always stand the danger of getting entrapped and consequently report or cover the energy sector without high levels of objectivity,’’ he said.
Ambassador Blay-Amihere charged the media to interrogate government policies on the sector and not just be satisfied with explanations from the Energy Minister or the Ranking Member on Energy, adding that “they may just say something today just to fill space and satisfy your so-called 5 Ws and How.”
According to him, providing reliable and sustainable electricity 24/7 and 24/365 is capital-intensive and expensive.
He indicated that due to this, successive governments and entities, such as VRA, GRIDCo and ECG, have been compelled to borrow so much to ensure that electricity reaches every home, office and industry in Ghana.
He said, for instance, in 2013, GRIDCo contracted a loan of USD 178 million to build its 330 kV transmission line from Kumasi-Kintampo-Tamake-Bolgatanga to ensure reliable power supply to the North and beyond.
Besides, he said Ghana needed about $150 billion to build the Western corridor lines and a similar amount would be needed to build the Eastern corridor lines too, adding that the investment needed was very huge to make generation and distribution smooth.
The Managing Editor of energynewsafrica.com, Mr. Michael Creg Afful, implored Ghanaian journalists to take interest in the energy sector and learn its technicalities, so that they can come out with accurate report devoid of misinformation.
He said deepening the relationship between players in the energy sector and journalists is critical in helping to disseminate the right information to the public.
He paid glowing tributes to experts in the energy sector who encouraged him to specialise in energy reporting; he also urged other media professionals to specialise in the sector.
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