Trouble looms at Atomic Energy

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was thrown into a state of utter confusion as the Minister of Science and Technology, Madam Shirley Ayitey, ordered the commissioners to immediately halt a mandatory meeting specified by Act 588 which established the AEC.

The meeting, which was underway, saw all the members of the commission present as it was the maiden meeting after it was inaugurated by the minister.

The minister’s decree was received with great shock by the commissioners who were at the meeting to deliberate solely about the future of AEC per their mandate.

According to a source close to AEC, the minister’s “rude intrusion into the affairs of the commission” was absolutely uncalled for. “We are not under any obligation to take instruction from Shirley Ayitey”, stated the source.

A member of the commission who wants to remain anonymous told TODAY that they had information from the sector minister to discontinue the meeting that was in process for no apparent reason.

When he was asked about who communicated the minister’s edict he replied rather angrily: “It was Professor Akaho.”
A strenuous attempt to reach Prof. Akaho, an ace nuclear expert and Director-General of the commission, proved futile.
Our source indicated that the minister said her decision to stop the meeting stemmed from the fact that she was not informed about it.

However, according to Act establishing the AEC, the Commissioners are under no obligation to notify the minister of their meeting.

The Act gives absolute authority to the commission to act independently but within the ambits of the rules and regulation.
Additionally, the commission is not bound by any rule to invite or inform the sector minister about its meeting.
Moreover, the minister has no expertise acumen in nuclear energy or technology which is the basic requirement for membership of the commission.

The Act stated unambiguously that: “… Has interest and experience in nuclear sciences and engineering or a reputable knowledge of nuclear and its related sciences.”

What informed the minister to act rather contrary to the rules of engagement made most of the members of the commission suspicious about Madam Shirley Ayitey’s agenda about the AEC.

A member of the commission conjectured that she (Shirley) might have haboured a diabolic intention similar to what occurred to AEC after the 1966 coup which toppled Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s government.

“I believe that the minister wanted to sabotage the effort of the commissioners just like the way they did when Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown”, said the source.

A member of the Nuclear Society of Ghana who pleaded anonymity was emphatic in his assessment of the minister’s misconduct: “I have no doubt in my mind that Shirley Ayitey wants to rundown the Commission.
She has no idea as to what we do here so why does she want to be part of the meeting.” The source asked.
The source opined that lack of vision and focus by previous political leaders was the cause of the ineffectiveness of the AEC.

The only way out of the situation which AEC found itself is a strict adherence to the rules and regulations governing the commission, said the source.

The source advised the government to sink more resources into the activities of the AEC since it holds the key to unlock solution to the nation’s energy needs including science and technology.

Others also dread the minister’s behaviour towards the commissioners would negatively affect their demeanor since they are mostly distinguished and acclaimed expertises who are being sorted for by advance nations.

It would be recalled that the first President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, established the Atomic Energy Commission for the purposes of research into development of nuclear energy for peaceful uses.

It has as its mandate the responsibility of human resource development in the fields of nuclear science and technology and to promote the training of scientific, technological and non-scientific personnel of the commission.

Currently, the commission has been collaborating with the International Atomic Energy Agency in research into nuclear reactor which has underscored the level of expertise the country accumulated in the field of nuclear sciences over the years.
According to available records, Ghana has an unquestionable expertise in the field of nuclear related sciences which could be comparable to some emerging nuclear power nations in the world.

Information has it that Ghana acquired nuclear reactor including expertise knowledge decades before India and Pakistan had ventured into the field.