Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), has voiced concerns over the lack of effective leadership in the energy sector.
He emphasized that the sector’s issues are not being properly addressed due to the absence of a capable leader.
During an appearance on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Monday, April 22, 2024, Nana Amoasi VII highlighted the apparent lack of guidance within the energy sector.
He called upon the government to urgently replace the current Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, with someone more efficient and effective in tackling the sector’s challenges.
“Today the power sector or the energy sector appears shepherdless. You don’t see a leader who is standing up to the issues, accepting them as they are and seeking to address them while calling for cooperation from Ghanaians,” the IES Executive Director stated.
“Today it is very unfortunate, and I think it is time we have a new leader probably for the energy sector. But as we speak there is no shepherd….He [Energy Minister] must be relieved to concentrate on any agenda he is bidding for. He must be relieved of his post. It is becoming too much,” he stated.
His statement follows the intermittent power supply, which is adversely affecting both individuals and businesses.
“We have been asking for a timetable for quite a long time. The PURC intervened as an arbiter between the utilities and consumers and asking the ECG to provide one, unfortunately, the Minister of Energy [tells] all of us including the PURC to produce a timetable if we need one and why will we wish the country evil by asking for a load shedding timetable,” he bemoaned.
It should be remembered that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission instructed the Electricity Company of Ghana to provide a load management schedule by April 2, 2024.
Amid increasing worries regarding the persistent power interruptions nationwide, some Ghanaians urged the power distribution company to publish a load-shedding timetable, but their calls went unanswered.
ECG’s administration insisted that the power cuts were due to technical issues, and no formal load-shedding plan would be enforced.
In a letter dated Thursday, March 28, 2024, GRIDCo highlighted that ECG’s disregard for load management directives was a clear violation of its regulations and posed a significant risk to the power grid’s stability.
Consequently, GRIDCo submitted a complaint against the Electricity Company of Ghana to the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, regarding the latter’s refusal to provide a load-shedding timetable amidst the intermittent power outages, commonly referred to as ‘dumsor’.