A heated political row has erupted between Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey following a fresh wave of public discontent over Ghana’s new GH¢1 fuel levy.
Dr. Wereko-Brobbey recently took a swipe at Afenyo-Markin, questioning his moral right to oppose the levy when, according to him, the MP had failed to deliver meaningful results during his tenure as Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). In his view, the country’s worsening power crisis cannot be divorced from what he termed the Minority’s past mismanagement and “irresponsible acts” while in office.
He went further to accuse Afenyo-Markin of presiding over massive financial losses at ECG between 2023 and 2024. Until the Effutu MP accounts for his performance, Dr. Wereko-Brobbey said, Ghanaians have no reason to heed the Minority’s criticism of current government policy.
The sharp exchange comes on the heels of a newly amended Energy Sector Levies Act, which is scheduled to take effect on July 16, 2025. Under this legislation, Ghanaians will be required to pay an additional GH¢1 per litre of fuel, a move aimed at tackling an estimated GH¢3 billion in energy sector debt.
Afenyo-Markin has not taken the accusation lightly.
Reacting to Dr. Wereko-Brobbey’s claims, the Minority Leader dismissed the criticism as misplaced. While acknowledging ECG’s ongoing struggles, he defended the institution’s efforts under his leadership, highlighting advancements in infrastructure and service delivery that had gone unnoticed.
He also took the opportunity to slam the fuel levy, describing it as a rebranded version of the widely opposed E-Levy. Afenyo-Markin accused the government of backtracking on its own promises, pointing out that officials initially pledged not to introduce new taxes—only to replace one unpopular levy with another.
With the fuel tax set to kick in soon, tensions between political players continue to rise, fueling a broader debate about transparency, accountability, and leadership in Ghana’s energy sector.
