“Buck stops at the top” — Minority calls for Energy Minister’s removal over power challenges

The Minority in Parliament has renewed calls for the removal of the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, arguing that ultimate responsibility for Ghana’s ongoing power challenges lies at the top of the sector’s leadership.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Tuesday, Member of Parliament for Oforikrom and a member of the Parliamentary Energy Committee, Michael Kwasi Aidoo, said recent leadership changes within key power sector institutions, including the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), do not address the root causes of the country’s intermittent power supply.

He argued that while officials at lower levels have been reshuffled or suspended, such measures fail to resolve the structural and financial difficulties confronting the energy sector.

“If you remove the MD of GRIDCo and even direct supply at ECG, then why not you? Because the buck stops at the top,” he said.

His remarks follow a directive from the Energy and Green Transition Minister asking the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company Limited, Ing. Mark Awuah Baah, to step aside pending investigations into the fire at the Akosombo Power Control Centre. The incident has contributed to disruptions in the electricity supply in parts of the country.

Mr Aidoo accused the government of focusing on dismissals at the operational level as a way of managing public pressure, rather than addressing deeper challenges within power generation and distribution.

He further cited fuel supply constraints, accumulated debts owed to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and broader financial challenges as key factors driving instability in electricity supply.

Describing the situation as one of “desperation and deflection”, the Oforikrom MP maintained that the sector’s challenges require more than administrative reshuffling to resolve.

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