Jinapor exposes ECG contract scandal: GH¢9B awarded against approved GH¢3B

The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, has revealed a major financial irregularity at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), disclosing that over GH¢9 billion worth of contracts have been awarded despite official approval for only GH¢3 billion.

The revelation, which points to significant breaches in procurement and financial protocols, was made by the Minister on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

According to Dr. Jinapor, the discrepancy represents a severe deviation from approved budgetary limits and raises serious questions about governance and fiscal discipline at the state power distributor. While the ECG was legally and procedurally cleared to enter into contracts totaling GH¢3 billion, the actual value of agreements already signed and awarded has skyrocketed to more than triple that amount.

“The scale of this overrun is alarming,” Dr. Jinapor is reported to have stated. “We had approvals in place for GH¢3 billion in contracts, yet we find ourselves in a situation where over GH¢9 billion has already been committed. This is a matter that demands urgent scrutiny.”

The Minister did not immediately provide details on the specific contracts in question or the contractors involved. However, his statement suggests a systemic failure in oversight, potentially exposing the state to huge financial liabilities and raising concerns about value for money in the energy sector.

The revelation is expected to trigger investigations by state oversight bodies, including the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and the Auditor-General’s department. Stakeholders in the energy sector and anti-corruption campaigners are likely to demand a full audit of all ECG contracts awarded during the period in question to determine how the approved threshold was so massively exceeded and who bears responsibility for the approvals.