George Kwame Aboagye, Ranking Member of Energy Committee flanked by his colleagues
The Minority in Parliament has accused the Minister of Energy and Green Transitions, John Jinapor, of focusing on public relations while the country’s power sector slides deeper into crisis.
The caucus expressed frustration over what they described as the minister’s pattern of fear-inducing statements and failure to offer real solutions.
Speaking at a press conference led by George Kwame Aboagye, Ranking Member of the Energy Committee, the Minority warned that the country is edging dangerously close to a full-scale power emergency, one that threatens to cripple businesses, strain households, and undermine President John Dramani Mahama’s flagship 24-hour economy vision.
Under the theme “Stop the Talking, Fix the Lights – Before the 24-Hour Economy Becomes a 24-Hour Blackout,” the Minority lambasted the minister for recent remarks that Ghana had “only 2.6 days of fuel left.”
According to the Minority, such claims are not only unfounded but damaging to investor confidence and public morale.
They recalled a similar incident when the minister, during the swearing-in of the President, announced that Ghana had “only 5 hours of fuel left”—a statement he later clarified applied solely to Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), but not before triggering unnecessary panic.
The Minority said these alarmist tactics must end, as they erode trust and distract from the real work of stabilising the power supply.
Mr. Aboagye emphasised that Ghanaians are already burdened by a 14.75% increase in electricity tariffs this year, yet service delivery continues to deteriorate.
He described the situation as unacceptable and warned that patience among consumers is wearing thin.
Mr. Aboagye, flanked by Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Minority Chief Whip, Collins Adomako Mensah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Afigya-Kwabre North and Michael Kwasi Aidoo, MP for Oforikrom, stressed that the country needs solutions, not excuses, and challenged the minister to rise above political rhetoric and provide the leadership required to steer the sector out of its current mess.
He added that the Energy Ministry must stop shifting blame and start addressing key issues such as fuel supply challenges, technical and commercial losses, and the growing debts crippling independent power producers.
While acknowledging the complexities of the power sector, the Minority rejected attempts to scapegoat the previous administration for current failures.
Mr. Aboagye stated that the Nana Addo government inherited an energy sector burdened with over $2 billion in debt when it assumed office in 2017, and took decisive action in resolving challenges.
According to him, the previous administration built on several strategic investments between 2017 and 2024 that added over 1,600 megawatts of new generation capacity, citing projects like the TT2PP, Amandi, Early Power, and various solar initiatives such as Bui, Kaleo, and the upcoming Yendi project.
The Minority also pointed to significant transmission upgrades, including the Prestea–Kumasi and Aboadze–Prestea lines, as well as expanded access, which brought electricity coverage to nearly 89 percent of the population.
Despite these advances, the Minority said the current administration has allowed progress to stall, warning that the dream of a 24-hour economy is unachievable without uninterrupted electricity supply.
They described the present situation as a dangerous return to the dark days of “dumsor” that plagued Ghana from 2012 to 2016.
The caucus noted that a new generation of Ghanaians—children of those who endured the previous energy crisis—is now witnessing similar conditions, adding that the current “dumsor” is both tragic and infuriating.
The Minority cautioned that businesses are shutting down, hospitals are operating under strain, and schools are being forced to adjust to unstable power conditions.
They argued that the economy cannot thrive under these circumstances, and warned that the Energy Minister must act swiftly or risk a total collapse of confidence in his leadership.
“The honeymoon is over and Ghanaians deserve better. We demand action and results, not rhetoric. Stop the talking and put the lights on,” the Minority asserted.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House