Hon. John Jinapor, the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, has issued a stern warning to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), signaling a potential leadership and operational restructuring following persistent reports of service lethargy.
Addressing stakeholders and staff, the Minister expressed significant dissatisfaction with the current level of responsiveness in various districts, noting that while the utility provider generally performs its duties, “isolated cases” of inefficiency are undermining national energy goals.
“I have informed your MD to do some exercise there, if it means that we should shake up, like any organisation would have to do a shake up, but don’t let us get there. You cannot have a 100% system where the lights will not go off forever, but the response time ought to be very swift. When somebody experiences that complaint, you can’t deal with that.”
Hon. John Jinapor
The Minister’s remarks follow a series of complaints regarding delayed restoration times and a lack of urgency in addressing localized outages.
Hon. Jinapor emphasized that while technical faults are inevitable even in the most advanced power systems, the “response time ought to be very swift,” a standard he believes is currently not being met.
He further revealed that he has already directed the Managing Director (MD) to conduct an internal exercise to identify and rectify these bottlenecks, warning that if performance does not improve, a major “shake-up” within the organization will be necessary to ensure the duty to the public is fulfilled.
Technological Integration: SMS and Location Tracking for Faster Repairs
To bridge the gap in service delivery, the Ministry is actively collaborating with the utility provider to upgrade its information and response systems.
The Minister highlighted a shift toward a more digital, data-driven approach where consumers can report faults via simple text messages.
By integrating location-based services, the goal is to allow technical teams to move in and deal with challenges with surgical precision, reducing the time spent on manual fault finding and navigation.
This upgrade is expected to move the ECG toward a “smart grid” philosophy. Instead of customers having to wait for hours on helplines, the new system aims to make the reporting process instantaneous.
“We’re also working with them to upgrade your information system and response system so that when somebody has a problem, you can just send a text message and send a location,” Hon. Jinapor noted, adding that such data “alone should be enough for your team to move in.”
Why a Shake-Up is Necessary for Power Stability
Organizational restructuring, or a “shake-up,” is often a prerequisite for stabilizing a volatile power sector.
When a utility provider becomes unresponsive, it isn’t always due to a lack of equipment; frequently, it is a failure of leadership and communication flow.
A restructure allows the Ministry to realign personnel with modern technical requirements, ensuring that “the right people are in the right roles” to handle the complexities of a 2026 energy landscape.
Furthermore, a shake-up facilitates the removal of redundant management layers that slow down decision-making during emergencies.
For power stability, the “speed of action” is just as critical as the “availability of power.” By streamlining the chain of command, the ECG can ensure that field teams are dispatched immediately upon receipt of a fault report.
Accountability at the District Level: A Final Warning
The Minister was clear that the responsibility for power stability does not rest solely with the high-level executives but extends to the personnel in the various districts.
He pointed out that the “negative developments” and “lethargy” are localized issues that reflect a broader need for discipline and dedication.
With the government’s push toward sustainable energy and a reliable grid, the Ministry is no longer willing to tolerate “unencouraging” levels of responsiveness.
Hon. Jinapor concluded by reminding the staff that they have their “work cut out” for them.
The message from the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition is unambiguous: modernize and respond, or face a total organizational overhaul.
As the nation moves toward more complex energy systems, the “human element” of the ECG must evolve alongside the technology to ensure that Ghana’s lights stay on and that customer complaints are treated with the urgency they deserve.
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