Tuesday 12 April 2016

President Mahama Must Ask The Power Ministry To Cancel The Shenzan Energy Group's Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant Project Immediately

Nothing exposes the callousness and selfishness of our vampire-elites, more than their inexplicable decision, to allow a Chinese company to build a coal-fired power plant, in Ghana's Central Region.

It is also instructive that thus far, with the exception of Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, we are yet to hear any significant political figure in Ghana, objecting to this short-sighted and dangerous idea.

In condemning the Shenzan  Energy Group's proposed coal-fired power plant - for the deleterious effect that pollution from the plant's emissions will have on the health of people in the neighbouring communities surrounding it - Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom has again demonstrated why he should be President of the Republic of Ghana: he actually cares about the plight of ordinary people, and is prepared to ruffle the feathers of vested interests to defend the defenceless and voiceless in society, by speaking up for them.

It is beyond belief that despite all the  empirical evidence from the work of researchers in Chinese cities - which show the link between the spike in respiratory diseases in Chinese cities, and the inhalation of particulates from smoke from the cone towers of coal-fired power plants - the government of President Mahama has still gone ahead, and given its blessing to this abominable and unspeakable project.

Do our vampire-elites not know where to draw the line, in their greedy and cynical betrayal of Mother Ghana? Do they only care about the financial benefits that accrue to them from permitting such monstrosities - rightly frowned upon elsewhere -  one wonders?

If China itself is accelerating the closure of coal-fired power plants, in cities across its landmass - because they are damaging the health of tens of millions of urban dwellers who have to live with the effect of poor air-quality resulting from pollution from particulates in the emissions of coal-fired power plants - why should our leaders allow the Shenzan Energy Group, the parent company of the Sunon Asogli Power Company, to build a coal-fired power plant, which will also cause the very same respiratory diseases that are forcing China to close its coal-fired power plants, in Ghanaian coastal communities that will have to live in the shadow of such a health-damaging power plant?

If, despite all the research evidence from China, the Shenzen Energy Group is allowed to go ahead to build the proposed coal-fired  power plant, then, as sure as day follows night, the people who will have to live in the shadow of that power plant, will forever curse President Mahama and his hard-of-hearing regime - when relatively large numbers of  people in that part of Ghana begin to die from lung cancer and other respiratory diseases: resulting directly from breathing in pollutants from the emissions of that coal-fired power plant.

That is why President Mahama must step in and demand that the power ministry cancels the project immediately. Since China is a global leader in the building of giant-sized windmills, the Shenzan Energy Group is welcome to build the world's biggest wind energy farm off our coastline, if it wants to contribute positively to Ghana's sustainable development agenda.

The Shenzen Energy Group can also make money in Ghana, by helping to make off-grid high concentration photovoltaic solar thermal power generation systems with molten salts energy storage, ubiquitous across our nation. Instead of being so blockheaded and remaining fixated about building  coal-fired power plants in Ghana,  it should think creatively for a change. Haaba.

Ghanaians are fed up with being constantly shortchanged by their leaders. Enough is enough. President Mahama must say no to this pure nonsense on bamboo stilts - and demand that the power ministry cancels the proposed coal-fired power project immediately. Nothing in this world can justify permitting the Shenzen Energy Group to foist  this abomination on peaceful and law-abiding Ghanaians living in the  coastal area where its proposed coal power plant is to be sited. Period.





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