Audio By Carbonatix Executive Director of the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Ben Boakye, has raised concerns over governance and safety standards in Ghana’s power sector, arguing that weak accountability has contributed to repeated infrastructure failures and system vulnerabilities. Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, May 2, he referenced the recent fire incident at the Ghana Grid Company Limited substation near Akosombo, saying the situation should have been prevented with proper planning and modern safety systems. Mr Boakye also questioned broader institutional practices in the energy sector, arguing that a lack of accountability leads to avoidable inefficiencies and financial losses. “We need to really look at how people get negligent. Accountability is defective in the energy sector. Basic things don’t get done, and when they don’t, they cost us billions of dollars,” he said. He further cited recurring power challenges and low voltages in Kumasi, saying earlier warnings about system weaknesses were not adequately addressed. His comments come after several parts of the country experienced a blackout. Other areas have also complained about intermittent power cuts, which ECG leadership and the President have attributed to upgrades aimed at boosting power supply and stability. “We tried to pre-empt that situation three, four years back, when we sat and we told GRIDCo engineers that you are stumping political decisions that will come back to hurt the entire power system in the long to medium term.” DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited. Tags: Accountability Ben Boakye Energy Sector DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited. Related to this story Ghana’s power system not robust, outages inevitable – Ben Boakye Akosombo substation fire should never have happened – Ben Boakye Energy sector woes stem from political interference, not leadership failure — Kofi Bentil Governance is about decisions, accountability—Deputy Finance Minister Fuel price cuts won’t translate instantly – ACEP boss explains why Fuel price cut: Businesses won’t rush to cut prices – ACEP exposes profit-driven delay Daily Insight for CEOs: Driving performance through clear accountability Middle East crisis shows Ghana needs to diversify energy sources – Lom-Nuku Ahlijah Prof. Osae-Kwapong calls for decisive action on galamsey crisis amid growing demands for accountability ACEP urges incentives for private fuel storage as prices surge in Ghana Latest Stories Rethinking intelligence in the age of Artificial Intelligence10 minutes ‘Every day is about survival’ – Workers demand action beyond May Day celebrations11 minutes Clear leadership demonstrated in managing recent power crisis – Dr Theo Acheampong13 minutes Accountability is defective in the energy sector – Ben Boakye15 minutes From detection to creation: Why education must move beyond AI plagiarism17 minutes Ghanaians keep paying for inefficiencies in the power sector – Prof Bokpin17 minutes Ghana’s power system not robust, outages inevitable – Ben Boakye18 minutes Beyond insults: The I.D.E.M playbook for political parties in the age of the ‘social media minister’21 minutes Germany backs Moroccan sovereignty in Sahara dispute40 minutes Beyond Competence: How capacity shapes professional access and influence41 minutes Chamber of Mines calls on BoG to release full breakdown of mining export proceeds50 minutes We appeal to Ghanaians for patience as we replace more transformers – Energy Minister1 hour Power stability has improved since 2025 compared to 2024 – Jinapor1 hour Akosombo substation fire should never have happened – Ben Boakye1 hour Savannah region: Yazori Chief issues election boycott threat over underdevelopment concerns1 hour