Volta Regional Minister demands action on power outages during visit to ECG office

Volta Regional Minister, Hon. James Gunu, paid a working visit to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Regional Office in Ho on April 15, 2025, to gather first-hand information on the persistent power outages and low voltage levels affecting the region.

The visit, reported by Ho-based Global FM, comes in response to growing frustration among residents and businesses suffering from unannounced blackouts and unstable electricity supply. Hon. Gunu expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation, stating that the power challenges have disrupted lives, livelihoods, and businesses, with little to no explanation provided by ECG.

“We must be told what is happening. The people deserve transparency,” the Minister insisted, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and prior notice before planned power outages. He called on ECG to keep the public informed about maintenance schedules to minimize the impact on households and businesses.

Citing food spoilage and damage to electrical appliances due to sudden outages, Hon. Gunu questioned why the Volta Region appeared to be disproportionately affected. He urged ECG to escalate unresolved issues to their Accra headquarters or the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) for immediate support.

Addressing growing speculation among residents that the outages might be intentional or a form of sabotage, he asked ECG to clarify the situation and provide a roadmap for resolving the challenges. He stressed that the current conditions are unacceptable and called for swift action.

In response, Ms. Christina Jatoe-Kaleo, Volta Regional Director of ECG, attributed the challenges to problems in power transmission from GRIDCo. She explained that the quality of electricity supplied by GRIDCo often falls below required standards, limiting ECG’s ability to provide consistent service.

She further stated that ECG has been in active discussions with GRIDCo throughout the week to resolve these issues. Much of the disruption, she said, is due to system trips and unforeseen faults, prompting the deployment of a 24-hour team of engineers to swiftly detect and resolve problems.

On the matter of communication, Ms. Jatoe-Kaleo noted that for planned outages, ECG consistently makes announcements through the media and other platforms to notify customers in advance. However, she acknowledged the difficulty of predicting unplanned outages, which makes real-time updates more complex.

She assured the Minister that ECG is taking steps to improve service delivery through capacity-building and training, and reaffirmed the company's commitment to collaborating with stakeholders, including the Minister’s office and ECG’s Accra headquarters, to address challenges beyond the regional level.

Following the engagement at ECG’s Ho office, Hon. Gunu proceeded to Akosombo for a similar fact-finding meeting with GRIDCo. He was received by Mr. Eugene Koranteng, Sectional Head at GRIDCo, and later spoke with Mr. Job Aziaku, the Area Manager, who joined remotely from a meeting in Tema.

The Minister directed both ECG and GRIDCo to urgently address the issues of low voltage and persistent outages. He also called for a joint press conference to update the public on the current challenges and the steps being taken to resolve them.

Hon. Gunu reaffirmed his commitment to the people of the Volta Region, pledging to ensure transparency and timely solutions to the ongoing electricity crisis.