Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on Thursday, April 10, Mr. Mahama highlighted that ECG’s revenue had historically been flat-lined, ranging between GH¢450 million and GH¢500 million. He stressed that no utility company’s revenue should remain so stagnant.

“ECG was never at the table in terms of revenue. For years, ECG’s revenue was flat-lined — always between GH¢450 million to GH¢500 million. No utility company’s revenue should be that stagnant,” he said.

However, Mahama pointed to the significant progress made during his tenure, where ECG’s revenue reportedly increased to GH¢1.5 billion.

He acknowledged that ECG’s financial struggles were deep-rooted and not new to him when he took office in May 2022. But he noted that his experience as Managing Director was different from his time on the board.

“There were a lot of discrepancies in the thinking around the company called ECG. Data from the Project Management Office revealed that over 700 electrical infrastructure projects were outstanding, about 100 more in civil works, and only 12 in customer service. This showed clearly that while the infrastructure side was being addressed, the business side — the side that brings in the money — was neglected,” he explained.

Mahama highlighted the company’s fundamental flaw in customer relations, noting that no modern utility company could thrive without investing in customer interface systems.

“I had a discussion with the board and told them that no critical 21st-century utility operates without properly engaging customers. So, we embarked on an ambitious drive to change the narrative around customer relations,” he said.

Despite his prior knowledge of the company’s challenges, Mahama admitted that sitting in the Managing Director’s chair exposed him to the harsh realities of ECG’s operational difficulties.

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Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on Thursday, Mr Mahama explained that the government’s focus on privatising the power distribution company left little room for investment in its infrastructure and operations.

“If you cast your mind back, during the President’s first tenure, all efforts were geared towards sending ECG into privatisation. So, there was zero investment in the company,” Mr Mahama stated.

He recounted the failed Power Distribution Services (PDS) deal, which saw the management of ECG handed over to PDS for about eight months before the agreement collapsed.

Following the botched privatisation attempt, ECG reverted to full state control, just as the country was heading into the 2020 general elections, he added.

Mr Mahama, who assumed office as Managing Director in 2022, said one of his first actions was to conduct a “health check” on the company.

“What I found was that although there had been massive growth in the number of ECG customers, this was not properly reflected in the company’s data,” he said.

According to him, ECG’s Commercial Management System (CMS), introduced through a World Bank project, could not accommodate the rapid growth in customer numbers.

“The billing system had its own deficiencies. When it hit the 4.5 million customer mark, new customers being added were not being captured in the billing system. They were hanging,” he noted.

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The so-called “missing ECG containers” scandal has sparked significant public interest, with many questioning how the containers could have disappeared from the Tema Port.

However, speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, April 3, Mr. Mahama insisted that the containers were not lost. Rather, he said, they were either misplaced or auctioned because they were not cleared from the port within the required time frame.

Mr. Mahama explained that before leaving office, he was informed that there were insufficient funds to clear the containers, which led him to believe that the containers were either auctioned or misplaced, but not lost.

The issue has raised questions regarding potential corruption in the management of ECG. According to Mr. Mahama, the failure to clear the containers on time led to the auctioning of some by the Ghana Revenue Authority, as part of the process for goods that are not cleared within the stipulated period.

In such cases, customs officials are authorized to dispose of the goods to recover port charges.

While over 1,300 ECG containers were initially reported as missing, Energy and Green Transition Minister John Abdulai Jinapor revealed that 40 containers have been traced to a warehouse owned by a Chinese national at Kpone, near Tema.

Since then, more than ten people have been arrested in connection with the case.

Minister Jinapor has also called on the Attorney General to investigate the matter. His office has formally requested the Attorney General to conduct further inquiries, with the possibility of taking legal action against those responsible.

“We’ve written to the Attorney General to conduct further investigations with the possibility of taking the culprits to court,” Jinapor stated.

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Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Mr. Mahama responded to allegations surrounding the missing containers, which contain critical electrical equipment intended for national power distribution.

He questioned the rationale behind the committee’s failure to reach out to him.

“The investigative team never contacted me, but my name was mentioned in the report. Meanwhile, I have not gone anywhere and won’t go anywhere, so what was the rationale behind that?” he quizzed.

Mr. Mahama further noted that he would have gladly participated in the investigation if he had been contacted.

“If they wanted to do a thorough investigation, they should have called me. I am around, and I would have worked with the committee if they had reached out to me,” he stated.

In regard to the missing containers, Mr. Mahama stressed the ease of tracking international shipments.

“If you input the container number, you can easily locate where the container is. Let’s make sure we address the container issue properly,” he said, underscoring the importance of properly investigating the logistics involved.

He also expressed concern about the lack of direct communication from the committee.

“We are all humans serving the country. If they wanted a holistic job, they should have spoken to me directly. Why would I not subject myself to interrogation if indeed I was contacted? But they didn’t call me. I would have gladly cooperated,” he bemoaned.

The scandal, which has sent shockwaves through the country, involves the disappearance of containers containing equipment meant to support ECG operations.

Reports have revealed procurement irregularities and questionable transactions within ECG, with allegations that some government officials and ECG executives were aware of the improper handling of the containers but failed to act.

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As such, he sees no issue with the recent report suggesting that ECG had failed to account for millions of generated revenue.

Defending his tenure at the company, he told JoyNews’ Kofi Kyei on The Pulse on Thursday, January 16, that “Under-declaration is not a criminal offence.”

He explained that the discrepancies arose because the company needed to pay salaries and other expenses before remitting the revenue to the state.

“Let’s look at the salary bill of ECG. Let’s consider how much ECG needs to keep the lights on in your districts, including maintenance on the lines. Where do you expect ECG to get that money from if ECG gives all the money it receives away?” he argued.

Mr Mahama further attributed the under-declaration to various factors, including foreign exchange volatility, where the US dollar’s value increases the cost of the cedi.

According to the 2025 Ghana Energy Sector Recovery Programme (GESRP) report, ECG had under-declared a total of GH₵490 million between October and December 2023.

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The Institution is seeking clarity on the decision-making process and implementation of smart prepaid metres projects, ensuring that they were undertaken in a financially responsible manner.

The Institution believes that a forensic audit is essential to uncover the truth behind the resignation.

This will provide the newly appointed Acting Managing Director, David Asamoah, with valuable insights into the state of affairs and guide his team in making informed decisions.
As Engr. Boateng emphasized,

“Until we audit and see what actually went on during his reign, we can’t see more, but we believe a lot of things might have gone wrong.”

The Institution urges the government to conduct this audit swiftly, ensuring accountability and paving the way for improved management under new leadership.

Also, Engr. Henry Kwadwo Boateng, President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology Ghana said every engineering institution should be headed by an engineer.

“We can’t put square peg in round holes,” he emphasized, highlighting concerns over Mr. Dubik Mahama’s leadership.

“In my area, I’ve witnessed a disturbing trend. A brand-new smart meter was installed, only to be removed and replaced with another one within less than a year. This raises serious questions. What’s the rationale behind such wasteful expenditure?

“This is government money we’re talking about, and we can’t afford to squander it,” he lamented.

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The ECG post was on the occasion of Mr Mahama’s 2nd-year anniversary at the company since he took up the role.

In the post on Tuesday, May 14, the company highlighted Mr Mahama’s efforts in revamping ECG’s PowerApp, making it more user-friendly and accessible, resulting in a surge of active users.

The distribution company further said Mr Mahama has made significant strides in addressing meter request backlogs through its Loss Reduction Project (LRP) by injecting 275,000 meters into the system and improving efficiency.

The post also acknowledged him for elevating its monthly revenue from GHS 400 million to an impressive GHS 1 billion, enabling it to invest further in improving its services.

“Significantly reducing meter request backlogs through the Loss Reduction Project (LRP), injecting 275,000 meters into the system and improving efficiency. Replacing outdated meters with our enhanced meter management system, ensuring accuracy and reliability for our customers across operational regions” the post further noted.

However, Ghanaians considered the post to be insensitive, particularly at a time they were experiencing power outages popularly known as dumsor.

The post had garnered over 500 comments, 69 shares and nearly 800 reactions at the time of filing this report on Tuesday, May 14.

A social media user commented, “Which transformation are you talking about, is it the one you apply for meter with pole you would only get meter without pole and the customer has to get it himself, or the one when you pay your bills they’ll still bring you the same bill that you didn’t pay or what.”

“I applied for a prepaid meter in January this year for my shop, paid all necessary fees and expectations done. But I’m yet to get my meter fixed because I learnt there is no meter available. How do u guys expect startups in this country to do well with this kind of messed up system?” another person commented.

Here are some comments from other Facebook users:

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He acknowledged some distribution challenges leading to recent outages, noting that the company was embarking on various maintenance operations and investing to ensure that Ghanaians had uninterruptible electricity for use.

“Right now, there is no supply issue; if there is to be any outages, it will be a local fault, which people must inform ECG staff immediately for them to fix it,” Mr Mahama said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Friday, March 1.

He, therefore, encouraged Ghanaians to help the ECG provide better services to all consumers by paying their bills promptly, adding that debt owed by consumers is affecting ECG’s operations.

When asked about the debt consumers owed ECG, he said: “At the moment, we’re on an exercise, so I can’t speak to the figure now, but even if you owe us GHS5, it will have an impact on us because it will add to the commercial loses. Payment is the way to go, so just pay your bills.”

Commenting on outages that were experienced across the country last week, the Managing Director said, ECG carried out such an operation to urgently save the country’s gas plant, worth some US$200 million.

“The gas plant had an emergency; the gas valve needed to be replaced, and because it is gas it took some time to replace. So, if you make a mistake and there is a fire outbreak you will lose an asset that is worth US$200 million,” he said.

He encouraged individuals and businesses to inform ECG when they put up new buildings so that the company could take the necessary steps to connect them properly to the national grid.

“People are building more houses, which comes with more electricity demands and new industries are also springing up, putting more demand on the grid, which is the main reason for us having an overload on the system,” he said.

“There are overloads in the system because we’re growing so fast, but it’s not a supply issue, but it’s attitude that has taken us to where we are now. We’re not able to inform ECG of our building projects for ECG to work towards it,” Mr Mahama said. 

“We’re in almost all the major cities, doing what we call intensification, especially in the new areas that are coming up for the middle-income families, including Tse-Addo, and Oyarifa, so we have no supply issues,” he said.

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According to him, ECG loses about GH¢25 million whenever it rains in any part of the country since consumption tends to decrease when the weather is cold.

Mr Mahama made this revelation while discussing the topic “The Big Power Debate: The High Cost of Keeping the Lights On” on JoyNews’ PM Express.

“Before the rainy season set in, ECG was averaging between GH¢40 to GH¢50 million a day. Now any day that you see rain, note that we’re down by GH¢25 million,” he told host Evans Mensah on Monday.

Noting that the country has been experiencing a rainy season for an extended period this year, Mr Mahama said he becomes sad whenever he sees the rain.

“We plan all-year round with the same tariff. In certain parts of the world the tariff is not flat. When its cold, it varies from when it is hot and they find a way to balance it out. But we have a tariff that runs all year without considering the down periods.

“So clearly consumption will be less during these periods and definitely revenue collected will not be adequate enough to cover the shortfalls.

It is about how people live, and how buildings are constructed. With most people, they are comfortable with just the fresh air, they are fine and they are not going to consume a lot because everybody is actually on the path on conservation.”

The Managing Director also discussed the operational challenges brought on by rainy weather.

He divulged that rain hampers the collection of revenue, as meter reading and other operational activities become difficult.

However, he reassured that despite these challenges, ECG will eventually collect the owed amounts from customers.

“The truth of the matter is whatever is consumed I’ll still collect it along the line, but that particular day that it has rained, I may be unable to collect monies owed me by customers.”

In recent times, Ghanaians have experienced some power cuts, with the recent one blamed on limited gas to power plants in Tema and Takoradi.

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), which receives gas from the West African Gas Pipeline Company for onward supply to the power plants, has absolved itself of blame, accusing ECG for failing to pay its debt to settle the West Africa Gas Pipeline Company for the supply of gas.

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