The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, has attributed recent failures within Ghana’s power infrastructure to deep-seated institutional negligence, warning that recurring incidents point to systemic shortcomings rather than isolated mistakes.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, April 27, Mr Boakye argued that recent incidents, including a major fire at a critical power substation, expose long-standing weaknesses in institutional culture, planning and accountability.

According to him, the scale of the incident raises serious questions about engineering oversight and risk preparedness.

He expressed disbelief that a facility capable of delivering over 1,000 megawatts of power to consumers could be destroyed by fire, particularly given its proximity to one of Africa’s largest hydroelectric dams.

“It doesn’t take much to build systems that avert such incidents,” he said, stressing that basic fire prevention mechanisms—such as detectors, water suppression systems and surveillance technology—should have been standard in such critical infrastructure.

Mr Boakye emphasised that engineers, managers and technicians operating in high-risk environments must anticipate potential hazards, including fires, and proactively implement safeguards.

He described the failure to do so as evidence of “deep systemic negligence” embedded within public institutions.

He further called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident, urging authorities to go beyond surface-level findings and hold accountable those whose inaction or oversight may have contributed to the disaster.

“We cannot allow these incidents to become routine headlines that we soon forget,” he cautioned.

The energy policy expert also criticised what he described as misplaced investment priorities within the sector.

Citing developments in Kumasi, he argued that billions of dollars have been spent on pipelines and power plants that have failed to resolve persistent electricity supply challenges.

Instead, he advocated for a more strategic approach focused on addressing core structural issues within the national grid.

He pointed to the need for a robust transmission backbone—specifically a 330kV line from Pokuase to Anwomaso—as a more effective solution to stabilise power supply in key regions.

Mr Boakye lamented that such recommendations had previously been overlooked in favour of large-scale projects that, in his view, have delivered limited value to consumers.

“We keep pumping billions into the power sector without delivering optimal solutions,” he said.

He also questioned the credibility of some public claims regarding infrastructure upgrades, noting that even the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) had, at one point, cast doubt on reported installations by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The broader consequence, he argued, is a cycle of inefficiency that leaves consumers grappling with unreliable power supply—commonly referred to as “dumsor”—despite substantial financial investments in the sector.

“For the average Ghanaian, all they want is to switch on the light and have it work,” he noted. “But for over a decade, we’ve been having the same conversations about when power will stabilise.”

Mr Boakye called for a fundamental reset in how Ghana approaches energy sector planning and investment.

He urged policymakers to identify and prioritise critical infrastructure needs, ensure accountability at all levels, and adopt practical, common-sense solutions to prevent future failures.

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Power sector carelessness is no small thing – Benjamin Boakye warns

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