Energy Minister Faces Heat As IERPP Urges President To Sack Him Over Missing ECG Containers Saga

The Institute for Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP) has cited leadership failure in the matter of the alleged disappearance of over 1,300 containers consigned to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), as reported by the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor.

According to the Minister, an internal investigation revealed that out of 2,491 uncleared containers, only 1,134 were accounted for, implying that 1,357 containers were missing.

This claim was presented as evidence of entrenched corruption and mismanagement within the ECG. However, a joint investigative committee has since traced 2,637 previously unaccounted-for containers located at various terminals within the Tema Port, far exceeding the number originally cited by the Minister.

In an interview with 3News.com, the Spokesperson and Head of Communications for the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, said the containers were located at various terminals within the Tema Port.

According to him, the probe, led by a committee comprising National Security, the Ministry of Transport, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and Customs, discovered the containers as of April 30, 2025, at the following locations:

Further analysis revealed that 2,437 containers had overstayed the 60-day clearance window and incurred excessive demurrage charges.

ECG is thus expected to engage with port authorities to settle outstanding fees.

IERPP, in a statement, said that this significant discrepancy raises serious concerns about the accuracy, methodology, and motives behind the Minister’s initial claims.

“In an era where Ghana’s energy sector is facing acute challenges, including persistent power outages that are severely affecting households and businesses, such misleading public pronouncements without proper due diligence are not only unhelpful but dangerous,” a statement issued by IERPP on Tuesday, May 27, said.

The statement added that “They distract from problem-solving, undermine public confidence, and erode investor trust. The Institute is of the firm view that leadership in this critical sector must be grounded in competence, integrity, and evidence-based decision-making. At a time when the nation demands solutions to worsening power supply issues, the Minister’s approach has proven reactionary and counterproductive.”

IERPP, therefore, called on John Abdulai Jinapor “to take full responsibility for this failure of leadership.”

In the interest of accountability and the pursuit of better governance, the Institute also urged President John Dramani Mahama to immediately sack the energy minister and make way for a more competent and focused individual who can restore confidence, drive reforms, and deliver results.

“The energy sector is too vital to be treated with political theatrics. Ghana deserves leadership that confronts problems with facts, not speculation, with strategy, not showmanship,” the statement said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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