Don’t bow to “forces of darkness” on ECG privatisation – Afenyo-Markin tells Gyan Mensah

The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged Richard Gyan-Mensah, the Deputy Minister-Designate for Energy and Green Transition to stand firm against forces that may attempt to obstruct the privatisation of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), insisting that only bold leadership can drive real reforms in the sector.

Speaking during the deputy minister-designate’s vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Afenyo-Markin warned that previous attempts to privatise ECG had been derailed by political interference and entrenched interests, preventing the much-needed efficiency in the power sector.

“…I pray that this privatisation that the previous administration had initiated which someway, somehow became political and the previous administration had abandoned, in your time when the same forces of darkness in the sector are frustrating you, you will be bold to implement the privatisation there.,” he urged.

The Minority Leader strongly backed privatisation as a means to enhance efficiency and reduce the financial strain ECG places on the state.

“I support privatisation because I believe it will bring efficiency. I hope you will be bold enough to take that step,” he asked.

Afenyo-Markin also highlighted the recurring political cycle where inefficiencies in state institutions, particularly in the energy sector, become campaign issues, only for successive administrations to fail to act decisively.

He called on the nominee to work closely with the Energy Minister to push through necessary reforms, emphasizing that failure to act could be detrimental to the country’s economic stability.

“There is a serious drain on us as a country. If we don’t stand firm as leaders, the system will crush on us.”

The call for privatisation remains a contentious issue in Ghana’s energy sector, with proponents arguing that it will improve efficiency, while opponents fear it could lead to job losses and increased electricity costs.