Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, has sharply criticized the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over persistent and unannounced power cuts and low voltage issues affecting the region. He expressed deep dissatisfaction with the company’s performance, calling it a “total disappointment” and urged ECG to take immediate responsibility and improve its communication with the public.

Gunu stressed the importance of transparency, asking ECG to proactively inform communities when outages are expected so that residents and businesses can prepare. “If there are challenges, just let the people know. Communicate with them regularly,” he said. He lamented the damage being done to household appliances and warned that residents may begin demanding compensation. “People’s fridges and appliances are being destroyed. Why should it get to this point?” he asked.

The Minister’s comments come amid growing frustration from residents and business owners, who have suffered financial losses and disruption due to ECG’s unreliable power supply. He demanded higher standards from the company and questioned why the Volta Region should be subjected to such neglect. “What crime have we committed?” he asked, emphasizing that ECG must work harder to restore public confidence.

In response, ECG’s Volta Regional Manager, Christina Jatoe-Kaleo, acknowledged the concerns and explained that many of the current problems stem from limitations in the power transmission infrastructure, particularly those managed by GRIDCo, ECG’s upstream supplier. “If the supply we receive is low, we can’t deliver better. We depend on GRIDCo, and when they are off, we are off too,” she explained.

Jatoe-Kaleo clarified that while ECG is legally required to inform the public about planned outages, technical faults and unexpected system failures—especially those occurring at night—are harder to predict. She reassured the public that ECG operates a 24-hour technical team to quickly address faults and minimize disruptions.

She also outlined ongoing internal measures, such as training programs aimed at strengthening technical capabilities. She emphasized the need for stronger cooperation between ECG, GRIDCo, and government bodies to find long-term solutions. “If the issue is beyond us, we escalate it to Accra. We are ready to form a joint taskforce—‘Team Volta’—to address these challenges together,” she said.

Despite these assurances, Minister Gunu remained unimpressed. He expressed frustration at ECG’s lack of responsiveness to written complaints and stressed that he came in person to ensure his message was heard. “We’ve written to you, but you always say the letter wasn’t received. Today, I am the letter,” he declared.

The ECG has also recently faced scrutiny over reports of missing equipment containers at the Tema Port, further deepening public concern about its management and accountability.

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