Jinapor orders GRIDCO CEO to step aside over Akosombo fire

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has directed the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) Ing. Mark Awuah Baah to step aside pending investigations into a fire outbreak at the Akosombo Power Control Centre.

The directive comes in the wake of a major fire incident at the facility, which has significantly disrupted power transmission and contributed to widespread outages across the country. The incident, which affected critical control systems at the Akosombo installation, has been linked to ongoing instability in electricity supply, with several parts of Ghana experiencing prolonged power cuts.

Authorities say investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire and assess the extent of damage to key infrastructure. The Minister’s decision to ask the GRIDCo CEO to step aside is aimed at ensuring an independent and transparent probe into the incident.

In a related development, there has been a major shake-up in the leadership of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti Region. The changes are understood to be part of broader efforts to strengthen operational efficiency and improve power distribution amid the current challenges in the energy sector.

The recent developments come at a time of heightened public concern over the reliability of electricity supply, as businesses and households continue to grapple with the impact of the outages.

Meanwhile, the Minister is expected to provide further clarity on the situation during a scheduled press briefing at 2:00 p.m. on Monday. The briefing will focus on recent developments in electricity distribution, ongoing interventions, and measures being taken to stabilise the national grid.

Government has assured the public of its commitment to restoring stable power supply and addressing the underlying issues contributing to the disruptions.