The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has strongly refuted claims that he is merely lamenting Ghana’s current energy and fuel supply challenges, stressing that he is focused on implementing concrete solutions to stabilise the sector.
Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM on Monday, May 19, 2025, Mr Jinapor responded to criticisms, including one from Walewale MP Tia Abdul-Kabiru Mahama, who accused him of using “fear tactics” rather than providing leadership during his appearance on The Big Issue on May 17.
Mr Jinapor, however, insisted that his presentation before Parliament’s Energy Committee was not a show of frustration but a deliberate effort to outline facts and present actionable interventions. “I understand grumbling very well, and I don’t think that when you appear before a committee and you present facts, they term that as grumbling—unless, as a minister, I needed to hide that fact,” he said.
He highlighted several key actions his ministry has taken, including averting a potential shutdown by Karpowership, boosting generation capacity, and launching reforms to transition from liquid fuel dependency to more sustainable domestic gas usage. “The facts are that Karpowership threatened to shut down, and we resolved the matter. That is not grumbling—that is solving the problem. It is sitting around the table to find the solution.”
“When we took over, load shedding was around 70 to 80 megawatts. We’ve brought in new plants. I gave Parliament all the statistics, then presented the challenges and the steps we are taking to address them,” he added.
As part of the broader sector reforms, Mr Jinapor announced the formation of a Gas Processing Committee tasked with advancing Ghana’s capacity to process its own gas and reduce reliance on expensive liquid fuels. “We have inaugurated the gas processing committee to figure out how to build the gas processing plants so that we don’t depend on liquid fuel. That is not grumbling—we are solving the problem,” he reiterated.
The Minister also referenced ongoing efforts to involve the private sector in the energy space, particularly regarding ECG’s operations.
“ECG said they want private sector participation. We have inaugurated a committee, completed stakeholder consultations, and we’re now moving to implementation. Again, that is not grumbling; that is confronting the issues head-on.”
Responding to concerns about fuel stock levels, Mr Jinapor said he had provided Parliament with updated data and confirmed that new consignments of fuel were already being delivered.
“Parliament wanted the statistics of our fuel stocks, and I gave them everything. I also informed them that we’ve ordered fuel and are receiving new stock to replenish supplies.”
“I never said we have a crisis. I didn’t say we will have a crisis. We are not in crisis—we’re doing fairly well. Yes, we have challenges, but that is why we were elected—to solve them. And if I propose a solution, it means I am tackling a challenge, not lamenting,” he concluded.
Mr Jinapor’s remarks come amid growing public concern about power fluctuations and fuel shortages across parts of the country. His firm defence signals a government stance on transparency and resilience, even in the face of mounting pressure to deliver results in Ghana’s struggling energy sector.
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