Energy Minister gives ECG one week to address procurement lapses after 1,300 missing container report

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, says the procurement unit of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will be restructured within a week.

This follows findings from a ministerial investigation that revealed procurement breaches and the disappearance of more than 1,300 containers linked to the company.

Mr Jinapor made this known on Tuesday, March 25 2025, after receiving the final report from the committee set up by the Ministry on January 30th  to look into ECG’s stranded containers at the Tema Port and other procurement matters.

According to him, the committee’s findings were deeply troubling. Over 1,350 containers meant for ECG and reported to be stuck at the port could not be traced.

“These containers cannot vanish into thin air,” he said. “We will work with the Attorney General’s Department and the Police to ensure those responsible are held accountable and to recover either the containers or their value.”

The 103-page report was prepared by a committee chaired by Professor Innocent Senyo Acquah. Their investigation also pointed to long-standing weaknesses in ECG’s procurement systems.

Mr Jinapor said the Ministry will not allow the report to sit idle. He announced plans to decouple ECG’s procurement unit as a first step in reforming the company’s internal processes.

“It cannot be business as usual,” he added. “We are not out to witch-hunt anyone, but we will hold whoever is responsible to account.”

He said the Ministry will act on the report’s recommendations and involve the relevant authorities to ensure further investigations are carried out.

Mr Jinapor praised the committee for its work and said the government would take all necessary steps to safeguard public resources and improve operational oversight within ECG.