We need to restructure ECG – Energy Minister on missing containers

Energy Minister John Jinapor is making a case for the restructuring of the governance structure of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) following the missing containers.

This was after he noted that most of the ECG contracts awarded during the past New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration did not go through board approvals.

“Only few contracts go to the Board for approval,” he revealed.

He stated that “from this year, every procurement must go to the Board except emergency cases.”

“We need to restructure ECG,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, March 29.

Mr Jinapor further stated that there has been a cartel operating at the ECG.

He says a forensic audit will need to be carried out on the missing containers to identify all the persons involved.

“The ECG has procured items way above the legal limits. We will do a forensic audit of these containers,” he said.

Mr Jinapor further stated that the systemic decay that resulted in the missing containers started in the year 2022.

He said, “This is just the beginning. We are looking into the procurement structures of ECG.”

He added, “The system began to decay in 2022.”

“It is like a cartel that has been operating. The issue of the invitation of the former MD will follow now.” Everybody will be given a fair hearing and opportunities to answer.”

For his part, Businessman and convener of One Ghana Movement Senyo Hosi is calling for all persons involved in the missing containers to be held responsible.

He has called for a thorough forensic audit into this matter to unearth the real culprits behind this matter.

“Every culprit in this matter must be held accountable,”  Senyo Hosi said.

He added, “It is a systematic failure of governance.”

He indicated that  ECG has been a problem with almost 70 billion Cedis of debts

“It is a big problem, we need a proper forensic audit so we can establish certain things properly,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, March 29.

He added, “We need to know why we can’t find the missing containers. This matter needs thorough investigation and every body in must he held accountable.”

An investigative report on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has uncovered that more than 1,300 containers, which were meant to be cleared at the Tema Port, are unaccounted for.

According to Prof. Innocent Senyo Acquah, chairman of the investigative committee, ECG initially claimed to have 2,491 uncleared containers filled with cables and other essential equipment. However, an independent audit at the port found only 1,134 containers, leaving 1,347 missing.

The findings were presented to the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, who described the situation as alarming. He assured that a full-scale investigation, involving the Attorney General and the Police, would be conducted to track down the missing containers or recover their monetary value.

Key Findings from the Investigation:

• Before 2022, ECG had a dedicated fund that received weekly allocations for clearing shipments. However, the practice was discontinued due to a lack of funds, as cited by the ECG board.
• Despite financial constraints, ECG awarded contracts to two firms to clear the containers—one of which was pre-financed by ECG.
• One of these companies did not have the necessary licence to handle the contract, raising concerns over procurement violations.
• ECG’s procurement directorate had been merged with its Housing and Estate unit.
• The Director of Procurement had no prior experience in procurement and was not a member of any professional procurement body.

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Minister Jinapor has assured swift action, stating, “The over 1,300 containers cannot vanish into thin air. We will ensure those responsible are held accountable.” He also pledged to separate ECG’s procurement unit within a week and introduce urgent reforms to prevent future irregularities.