Nigeria’s N-Gas has reversed its earlier directive for the West African Gas Pipeline Company to cut gas supply to Ghana by 70% today.
Gas supply to Ghana from Nigeria was expected to be cut by 70% due to the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) indebtedness to the two companies to the tune of 181 million dollars.
But a high powered government delegation led by the Power Minister, Dr. Kwabena Donkor is currently in Nigeria negotiating the mode of payment which has led to the suspension of the earlier threat.
The VRA owes WAPco 103 million dollars with the balance of 78 million dollars being owed to N-Gas and the other parties in the gas supply chain.
Since August 2014, VRA has received natural gas and pipeline related transportation services totaling 231 million dollars through WAPco but has paid only 50 million dollars of the amount.
“WAPco is contractually obliged to curtail deliveries to VRA at midnight on Friday 16 October, 2015”, the Managing Director of WAPco Walter Perez said at a press conference on October 14.
However in an interview with Citi Business News, General Manager Corporate Affairs of WAPco Harriet Wereko-Brobbey confirmed that,” Last night we received communication from N-Gas that there were on- going discussions and pending the outcome of the discussion the curtailment of the gas supply is being deferred.”
According to her, their next move will be taken after final communication of the outcome of the meeting.
“We will issue something official as soon as we get the outcome of the discussions that are ongoing …we are hoping that we will hear from them if not this week next week,” she stressed.
As at Wednesday October 14, WAPco was supplying Ghana with 95 million standard cubic feet of Gas .
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By: Rabiu Alhassan/citifmonline.com/Ghana
