John Jinapor showing strong leadership on power outages, deserves support – Prof Beyuo

The Member of Parliament for Lambussie, Titus Beyuo, has commended the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, for what he described as a competent and measured response to the recent power outages that affected parts of the country. He also called on stakeholders and the general public to offer support to the Minister rather than subject him to excessive criticism.

Speaking during an interview on Adom TV on Thursday, April 30, Prof. Beyuo stated that the Energy Minister has demonstrated strong leadership and a clear understanding of the issues following the fire outbreak at the Akosombo Power Control Centre, which disrupted electricity supply across several regions.

According to him, the swift actions taken by the Minister indicate a proactive approach to resolving the situation and restoring stability to the power sector. He emphasized that at such a critical time, constructive support is more beneficial than undue criticism.

“John Jinapor has shown that he understands the issues at stake and is taking decisive steps to resolve them. At this point, what he needs is encouragement, not undue criticism,” Prof. Beyuo said.

His remarks come amid mounting pressure from the Minority in Parliament, who have called for broader accountability and a thorough investigation into the incident, citing the widespread impact of the outages on businesses and households.

In response to the situation, the Minister directed the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company, Ing. Mark Awuah Baah, to step aside temporarily while investigations are conducted into the cause of the fire and the subsequent power disruptions. This move has been seen as part of efforts to ensure transparency and accountability within the sector.

Despite the calls for accountability, Prof. Beyuo maintained that it is equally important to support the ongoing interventions being implemented to stabilize the energy supply. He cautioned against politicizing technical challenges, arguing that such an approach could undermine efforts to resolve the issue effectively.

“We must be careful not to politicise every challenge. The focus should be on fixing the problem and ensuring stability in the power sector. The Minister is working, and we must allow him the space to deliver,” he added.

The incident at the Akosombo Power Control Centre has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities within Ghana’s energy infrastructure, prompting renewed discussions on the need for investment, maintenance, and improved risk management systems to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

As investigations continue, attention remains focused on both restoring full power supply and implementing long-term measures to strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s electricity sector.