The Staff Groups of the Volta River Authority (VRA) have announced their intention to petition President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over a proposed merger involving the VRA, Bui Power Authority, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo). Additionally, the proposal includes establishing an independent Thermal Power Authority from the VRA’s thermal plants.

The staff groups strongly oppose the merger, viewing it as a move to lease the authority to politically connected individuals. Speaking to Citi News, Theophilus Tetteh Ahia, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of the VRA, vowed that they would take every possible legal step to halt the merger.

“We are Ghanaians and we are major stakeholders in this, and we are going to use all legitimate forces within our means, all the legal processes that we have, to ensure that Ghanaians are not shortchanged,” he stated.

Ahia emphasized the importance of resisting the merger, adding, “We cannot fold our hands and allow anything Ghana to be sold to the highest bidder. We are going to resist this [merger].”

The staff groups also plan to engage the Trades Union Congress (TUC), highlighting their concerns. “We are coming out to petition TUC because the little information we have is that they have also not been consulted,” Ahia explained.

He further noted, “We are going to petition the President to tell the President that we think that this issue is not in the best interest of Ghanaians. But we want Ghanaians to know that we are not interested and we are not in favour of this legislation and then the sale of the VRA Thermal Plant.”