The Minister of Energy, John Jinapor, has announced plans to evacuate the remaining Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) containers at the Tema Port to a secured warehouse under tight security measures.
Speaking on JoyNews’ News Night on Tuesday, March 25, the Minister expressed concerns about the safety of the remaining containers, stating that even during their relocation, strict measures must be enforced to prevent further losses.
“The other thing we are doing is that the remaining containers, we want to evacuate them, in collaboration with national security, to a secured warehouse, but we need to put in place stringent measures.
“My worry is that even in the process of taking the remaining containers to a safe haven, anything can happen. You can’t trust anybody,” he stated.
This development follows an investigative report revealing that over 1,300 ECG containers meant for clearing at the port have gone missing.
While ECG reported having 2,491 uncleared containers, an independent audit found only 1,134, leaving 1,347 unaccounted for.
The Minister has vowed to launch a full-scale criminal investigation into the matter, involving national security, the police, the presidency, and the Attorney General.
“I’m writing to the police service, I’m writing to the presidency, to the Attorney General, and then we’ll pick it up from there and conduct a very detailed investigation,” Mr Jinapor said.
“The entire fleet of containers can’t be accounted for. I find that very strange. Is it that people just lifted the containers from the ports? Is it that they pretend to be clearing them, and then the way they divert them? All these are issues that will be resolved once we conclude this,” he added.
The report further revealed that ECG had previously maintained a dedicated fund for clearing containers, but the practice was discontinued due to a lack of funds.
Additionally, the company awarded contracts to two firms to clear the shipments, with one lacking the necessary license, raising concerns over procurement breaches.
Jinapor has assured the public that those responsible will be held accountable once the criminal investigation is concluded.
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