The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has assured Ghanaians of transparency and regular updates as the country navigates ongoing electricity supply challenges following the recent disruption at the Akosombo Hydroelectric Power Station.
Addressing the press on Monday, April 27, the Minister emphasized government’s commitment to open communication, stating that authorities will be candid about developments within the power sector.
“We will not shirk responsibility. We will not deceive you. We will not live in denial—when we face challenges, we will tell Ghanaians,” he said.
His comments come amid heightened public concern over a possible return of prolonged outages, commonly known as “dumsor,” following a fire incident at the Akosombo substation.
Mr. Jinapor disclosed that he has directed the Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to provide consistent and timely updates on affected areas. He noted that the directive followed consultations with President John Dramani Mahama, who underscored the importance of keeping the public informed.
He acknowledged that the incident has created a supply gap impacting parts of the country but explained that the fluid nature of the situation makes it difficult to publish fixed load-shedding schedules.
“This is not like the regular load shedding, where you can predict outages over a period. Engineers are working around the clock to restore all plants back online within the shortest possible time,” he stated.
According to the Minister, ECG, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, has begun issuing regional updates, with outage schedules released at short intervals due to rapidly changing system conditions.
He cited instances where previously issued schedules had to be revised following additional power injections, including about 140 megawatts from another generating source.
“We can only provide updates over very short intervals because the situation keeps changing,” he explained.
Mr. Jinapor stressed that while Ghanaians expect stable electricity supply, they also deserve clear and honest communication during challenging periods.
“This situation is not due to policy failure or inaction. We will be honest with you, and we will also tell you what we are doing to address it,” he assured.
He added that such disruptions are not uncommon globally, noting that the effectiveness of response measures depends on speed, coordination, and transparency.
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