News:
March 31, 2025
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition John Abdulai Jinapor has vowed to ensure he secures all the missing containers belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana, (ECG).
“As the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, currently my vision is simple, I want all the 1346 containers accounted for; 1346 containers, whatever it takes I would bring these containers to where they ought to be”.
Setting the record straight on the controversies with regards to the numbers being churned out since news about the missing ECG containers broke out, Mr Jinapor on the floor of Parliament said, “there’s not been any inconsistency; at the Transition Committee, Hon. Ayariga was there, they gave us a figure of 3000, then they told us it had incurred a demurrage of 1.5 billion; I was sworn into office on the 17th, on the 24th, I visited the harbour. At the harbour, I was told the containers were 2500; that is what aroused my suspicion. I didn’t say at the harbor that the containers are 2500; I couldn’t have counted 2500 containers instantaneously”
He continued that he briefed the president on the 27th “and by 31I had established this committee”.
He disclosed that the auditing was done by Professor Senyo, a Chartered Procurement expert and it was during the presentation of the report that he was told that contrary to the figures given out, over 1300 containers cannot be accounted for. “These are the facts and nothing but the facts”, he added.
The Minister, however, assured that he would not be deterred by publications on social media about the development, and would do all it takes to secure the containers and bring the perpetrator to justice.
He disclosed that he and the National Security operatives visited four warehouses at Kpone on Friday; two of which are factories, “and what they’ve been doing over the years is that they buy these containers with brand new aluminum cables and then melt them into aluminum rods and export them”.
He also affirmed the president’s commitment to getting to the root of the problem, stating that “yesterday when the President Mahama called me, his message was simple, Jinapor you have my full backing, go the full trotting”.
He assured that they are working to achieve the president’s wish thus some Chinese Nationals have been arrested and they are on the trail of some Indian Nationals who have bolted.
According to him, he has received a lot of briefing; and he is getting to know the people behind it”, stating that these unfortunate actions have been going on for years but he will stop it.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com