There have been several media reports on some 1,300 missing containers at Tema Port belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana. This revelation came after John Jinapor‘s constituted investigative committee presented its findings.
Just after the Energy Minister, John Jinapor, announced that the government will initiate criminal investigations into the issues, the opposition New Patriotic Party launched a social media campaign seeking to twist the facts on the matter and paint the picture as though the said containers got missing under the less than 3-months old John Mahama-led NDC government.
Using artificial intelligence (AI), they design flyers of containers in NDC colors with wings flying from the harbor. In other designs, the containers were being carried by men in green T-shirts seeking to paint the picture of NDC’s “green army”.
These designs have widely been circulated on NPP’s official social media pages, including that of its Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagba, NPP Youth Wing, among others.
Now, what are the facts?:
During the transition period, the outgoing NPP administration claimed in their handover notes that approximately 3,000 ECG containers were stuck at Tema Harbour due to clearance issues.
It is also worth noting that according to the former President Akufo-Addo-led NPP government, the containers were imported in 2022 when the NDC was in opposition.
However, after the NDC’s Energy Minister took office, he made an official visit to the harbour which revealed a different figure of 2,500 containers accumulating a shocking demurrage cost of GHS 1.5 billion.
It is instructive to note that the Minister never said he counted 2,500 but said 2500 was presented to him as the figure at the Tema ports.
This glaring discrepancy of 500 unaccounted-for containers raised serious concerns, prompting the him to set up an investigative committee led by Prof. Innocent Senyo Aquah to verify the true status of the containers.
The committee’s findings
The committee’s findings were damning with revealing that over 1,300 containers were missing contrary to the figure presented to Energy Minister in both their handing over notes, and also the figure presented to the minister on his site visit to the Tema Port.
The report also made several other discoveries, including;
- Before 2022, ECG had a dedicated fund that received weekly allocations for clearing shipments. However, the practice was discontinued due to a lack of funds, as cited by the ECG board.
- Despite financial constraints, ECG awarded contracts to two firms to clear the containers, one of which was pre-financed by ECG.
- One of these companies did not have the necessary licence to handle the contract, raising concerns over procurement violations.
- ECG’s procurement directorate had been merged with its Housing and Estate unit.
- The Director of Procurement had no prior experience in procurement and was not a member of any professional procurement body.
Content of the missing container
The containers at the port were filled with electrical cables and other essential equipment for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
Minister’s reaction
Upon receiving the report and reacting to the development, the Minister of Energy and Green Transition described the situation as alarming.
He questioned how the containers could have gone missing without any notice being made.
To get to the bottom of the incident, the minister assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted.
He added that he would involve the Attorney General and the Ghana Police Service to help track down the location of the over 1,300 missing containers.
“These containers cannot vanish into thin air. We will work with the Attorney General’s Department and the police to ensure those responsible are held accountable and to recover either the containers or their value,” he said.
He further gave a one-week ultimatum to the ECG to restructure its procurement unit and address procurement lapses following the disappearance of more than 1,300 ECG containers at the Tema Port.
Jinapor, further explaining the rationale behind establishing an investigative committee, stated that the former government, during the transition period, had disclosed that 3,000 ECG containers were stuck at the port.
However, he noted that upon assuming office, his team identified inconsistencies in the figures provided, which prompted the need for further investigation.
“Let me set the record straight. During the transition period, the outgoing NPP administration disclosed that approximately 3,000 ECG containers were being held at the Tema Harbour due to the inability of ECG to clear them.
“However, upon assuming office, I visited the Tema Harbour and was presented with a different figure of 2,500 containers, which had incurred a demurrage cost of GH¢1,500,000,000. The discrepancy in these figures prompted me to establish an investigative committee to verify the circumstances surrounding the containers,” he stated.
Jinapor added, “The committee’s report, which was presented to me, confirmed that over 1,300 containers were indeed missing, contrary to the narrative given by the previous administration. As a result, criminal investigations will be launched immediately, and those responsible will undoubtedly be prosecuted. Government remains committed to ensuring that such irregularities do not go unpunished.”
Alleged connivance between port and ECG staff
Meanwhile, a former Deputy Minister for Energy, Collins Adomako Mensah, has expressed the view that officials at the Tema Port and staff of ECG could have colluded and been involved in the disappearance of the containers.
Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV, the lawmaker raised concerns about the gaps and loopholes within the system, emphasising that the containers could not have mysteriously disappeared.
“The missing containers are not just a case of negligence but point to possible collusion between individuals within both institutions,” he said.
Who were the leaders of the power sector between 2021 and 2024?
During the period the containers were imported, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempreh was the Minister for Energy until he was chosen as the NPP’s 2024 running mate. Then, Hebert Krapah, who was the Deputy Minister, took over as the substantive Minister and also had Colling Adomako Mensah as his deputy.
The Electricity Company of Ghana was headed by Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahama from May 2022 until he resigned in September 2024 with Kelly Gadzekpo as Board Chairman. David Asamoah was then appointed as the new ECG Managing Director.
During the period, Mr. Herbet Krapah served as the Board Chairmna on the company. He was succeded by Alexander Afeyno Markin.
Latest development on the matter
Mr. Jinapor announced new hours ago that 40 of the missing containers have been traced and found by the National Security at a warehouse at Kpone, Tema, within the premises of a company owned by an Indian national.
According to the suspect, the said containers were sold to him last year.
