Minority ‘set me up’ – John Jinapor cries

Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has strongly responded to accusations from the Minority in Parliament, saying they are trying to set him up and wrongly blame him for causing public panic over the country’s energy situation.

This heated exchange started after the minister, during a workshop organised by Parliament’s Energy Committee, revealed that Ghana had only 2.6 days’ worth of liquid fuel left to power its thermal plants. According to him, this meant the fuel stock was low, but there was no need to panic because fresh light crude oil had already been ordered and was expected to arrive in the country soon.

Minority Says Minister Causing Panic

Despite the Minister’s reassurance, some members of the Minority in Parliament were not pleased with how the matter was communicated. They accused Mr Jinapor of focusing too much on media attention rather than quietly solving the energy crisis Ghana is facing.

The Ranking Member on the Energy Committee, Mr George Kwame Aboagye, addressed journalists in Parliament on Monday, 19th May, and questioned the Minister’s approach to the sensitive matter.

“The Minister should stop the media theatrics and focus on fixing the energy sector. The people of Ghana are tired of the excuses. The days of dumsor should be over by now,” Mr Aboagye stated.

He warned that public statements like “we have only 2.6 days of fuel left” could easily create fear among Ghanaians, discourage foreign investors, and even slow down economic activities. He said the country needs real solutions, not headlines.

Minority’s Strong Message to the Minister

In a strongly worded statement during their press conference, the Minority listed eight major concerns and demands. They expressed disappointment in how the Minister is handling the situation and asked him to take immediate steps to stabilise power supply.

Here’s a summary of the Minority’s key points:

Ghanaians are running out of patience.

We need action, not more talk.

It’s time to turn the lights on, like President Akufo-Addo once promised.

Businesses are suffering and some are collapsing.

The Energy Committee wants urgent solutions.

Dumsor is slowing the economy.

The Minister’s honeymoon period is over.

Enough is enough.

Minister Jinapor Sets the Record Straight

In an interview on Metro TV on Tuesday, 20th May, the Minister did not hide his frustration about how the situation had unfolded. He said he was shocked that the same Minority members who invited him to give a briefing were now accusing him of seeking media attention.

“I was in my office working when they invited me to Parliament to explain the energy situation,” the Minister explained. “I went there and gave them the full picture—our fuel reserves, our energy demand, how we are solving the inherited debts, and so on.”

Mr Jinapor continued, “It was not me who called the media. They brought the press to cover the briefing. I simply presented the facts. I never said there would be load shedding. I never said we are entering a crisis. I actually stated clearly that we had brought in 450,000 barrels of light crude oil to support our reserves.”

Media Misrepresentation?

According to the Minister, some media outlets took just a small part of what he said—specifically the “2.6 days of fuel” comment—and made it look like the country was heading into another dumsor crisis.

“That’s not fair,” he said. “If you quote just part of the story, it can mislead the public. That’s why I came out later to clarify that although reserves were low, there was no need to panic because fuel was on the way.”

Minister Questions Minority’s Logic

Mr Jinapor found it strange that the minority was now asking him to release a load-shedding timetable, even though there is no current load shedding going on.

“How do you publish a load shedding timetable when there is no load shedding? It doesn’t make sense,” he stated.

He added that in order to ensure local demand is met, electricity exports have been reduced to near zero. That, according to him, shows how serious the government is about keeping the lights on for Ghanaians.

Inherited Challenges and Moving Forward

The Energy Minister also used the opportunity to remind the public that many of the problems Ghana faces in the energy sector today were inherited. He said the current administration is doing its best to clear debts, secure fuel, and keep power generation stable.

“We have made interventions to address the inherited challenges. We are not folding our arms. We are actively working, and the results will speak for themselves,” he said.

Energy Situation: A Shared Responsibility

Some industry experts say both the government and the opposition have a role to play in helping Ghana move past its energy challenges. While the minister must ensure clear communication and action, the opposition must also avoid politicizing issues that require national unity.

Ghanaians, especially business owners, traders, and students, are the ones who suffer when power supply becomes unreliable. So the focus should be on solutions, not politics.

Public Reaction Mixed

Some Ghanaians agree with the minister that the media and minority overreacted. Others feel the minister could have been more careful with his words to avoid stirring public concern.

One resident in Accra said, “We just want the lights to stay on. We don’t care about who said what. Just give us light.”

Another, a businesswoman in Kumasi, added, “Dumsor is affecting our shops. We need clear information and a permanent solution.”

Conclusion: Keep the Lights On

The back-and-forth between the Energy Minister and the Minority highlights how sensitive the energy issue is in Ghana. Power affects every part of life—homes, hospitals, businesses, schools. That’s why both sides must work together and focus on keeping the lights on.

For now, Ghanaians will be watching closely. They expect more action and less talk, more transparency, and above all, a stable power supply that will help the economy grow and improve everyday life.

As the Minister said, “There’s no cause for alarm.” But as the Minority put it, “Enough is enough.”