John Jinapor, firmly dismissed claims that he is merely lamenting the country’s power and fuel supply challenges. Instead, he emphasized his commitment to tackling these issues directly and effectively.
His remarks were prompted by criticism from energy experts and public figures, including Walewale MP Tia Abdul-Kabiru Mahama, who accused him of employing “fear tactics” instead of showcasing decisive leadership during an appearance on “The Big Issue” on May 17.
Addressing these concerns during a media engagement on May 19, 2025, Mr. Jinapor clarified that his recent appearance before Parliament’s Energy Committee was not an expression of frustration. Rather, it was an opportunity for him to present factual information and propose actionable solutions to the ongoing challenges.
“I understand grumbling very well, and I don’t think that when you appear before a committee and you present facts, they term that as grumbling,” he stated. “Unless, as a minister, I needed to hide that fact.”
Mr. Jinapor outlined several key initiatives his ministry has undertaken to address the energy crisis, including averting a potential shutdown of Karpowership, expanding generation capacity, and initiating structural reforms aimed at stabilizing the sector.
“The facts are that Karpowership threatened to shut down, and we resolved the matter; that is not grumbling, that is solving the problem. It is sitting around the table to find the solution,” he asserted, highlighting that when he assumed office, load shedding levels were around 70-80 megawatts due to shortfalls, but significant improvements have been made.
During his parliamentary appearance, he presented comprehensive statistics on the ministry’s performance, discussing both challenges and solutions. For instance, he mentioned the inauguration of a gas processing committee tasked with reducing the country’s reliance on liquid fuel.
“ECG said they want private sector participation; we have inaugurated a committee, and they have done stakeholder consultation, and now we have to move on to implementation. That is not grumbling; it is dealing with the challenges,” he explained.
In response to concerns regarding the country’s fuel stock levels, Mr. Jinapor assured the public that he had provided Parliament with updated data, confirming that new fuel orders were being processed.
“Parliament also wanted the statistics of all our fuel stocks, and I gave them to them. I also went further to say that we have ordered fuel, and we are getting those today to replace what we have in stock,” he stated.
“I didn’t say we will have a challenge; I didn’t say we have a crisis. We are not in crisis; we are doing fairly well. Yes, we have challenges, but that is why we were voted into power to solve those challenges. If I am putting a solution across, that solution should be dealing with a challenge,” he concluded, reaffirming his focus on pragmatic solutions for the nation’s energy sector.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
