The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has defended his decision to direct the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), Ing. Mark Awuah Baah, to step aside as investigations begin into the recent fire outbreak at the Akosombo Power Control Centre.
According to the minister, the move is intended to guarantee a fair and transparent investigation into the incident, which has significantly disrupted power transmission and contributed to outages in several parts of the country.
Addressing journalists at the government’s Accountability Series on Monday, April 27, 2026, Mr. Jinapor explained that the directive followed his visit to the affected facility and a comprehensive briefing on the situation.
“I visited the site on Friday, and after receiving the briefing, I asked that he step aside pending the investigation. It is in his own interest,” he stated.
Mr. Jinapor dismissed claims that the decision was punitive, emphasizing that it forms part of standard procedure to preserve the integrity of the investigative process.
“You just made reference to conspiracy theories and accusations. In fact, it helps him that when he steps aside and we conduct an impartial investigation, it is done without prejudice. This is not a normal leave,” he added.
The fire outbreak at the Akosombo installation damaged critical systems essential for power transmission, worsening instability in the electricity supply nationwide. The development has led to prolonged outages in multiple communities, raising public concern and intensifying scrutiny of the country’s energy infrastructure.
Authorities are expected to conclude investigations in the coming weeks as efforts continue to restore stable electricity supply and address the underlying causes of the disruption.
