Power sector in a mess because there's no minister – Energy expert

Energy expert Kwadwo Poku believes the persistent challenges in the power sector boils down to the absence of a substantive minister.

Deputy Power Minister John Jinapor has virtually been acting in that capacity since the resignation of Power Minister Dr. Kwabena Donkor who left his post last year over the dumsor controversy, albeit the Finance Minister has been asked to act as the Power Minister.

There seems to be a resurgence of the power outages that crippled the nation for about three years, and issues concerning the overbilling on prepaid customers have been raging for some time.

Speaking on 3FM’s Sunrise Morning Show, Kwadwo Poku charged the President to make a decision on who manages the power sector which he believes will bring some stability to the current situation.

“It’s in a mess and it’s in a mess in the sense that there is no direction because there is no minister. “It’s been given to the finance minister and if Hon. Seth Terkper has 10 files on his desk five from IMF and the World Bank and five from the Ministry of [Power], which one will he deal with first?” he asked.

“Unless we are now saying that the role of a minister isn’t important then why do we have ministers for sectors? Why the President in his wisdom went and herald the formation of the Power Ministry and we all clapped and all rejoiced that for once there is going to be a focus and direction."

“The President only has to send the name of Hon. John Jinapor to parliament with a letter typed and signed by the Chief of Staff to parliament and after vetting he becomes a minister.

“As deputy minister there are so many things he cannot do, for example if he was to go to Nigeria today, he might not be able to meet the substantive minister because of protocol.

“In the Asian countries you are only giving meetings as per your equal so if the deputy minister is to go to Asia and meet certain people only certain people will show up.

“If we are sending Hon. Jinapor to Nigeria to negotiate gas then he will be going as a deputy minister and if the person there doesn’t know the intrigues in Ghana will say the deputy minister is here so why don’t we also send the deputy minister here to meet his colleague.

“If we think that he is the one doing the day to day job then, make him a minister”.