PAY ATTENTION: Follow YEN's WhatsApp channel for a daily dose of breaking news on the go!The Akosombo Dam has been completely shut down following a fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) Substation at Akosombo in the Eastern Region.This was disclosed by the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition on Monday, April 27, 2026.According to a report by Citi News, the Ministry explained that the fire caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure at the GRIDCo substation. This consequently forced the authorities to take the drastic but necessary decision to halt operations at the dam.Read alsoEnergy Minister suspends GRIDCo CEO, conducts major shake-up at ECGPAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!Speaking to Citi FM, spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, Richmond Rockson, provided further details about the extent of the damage and its implications for the country’s power generation system.Richmond Rockson noted that the fire damaged the switch system of the Akosombo Dam, rendering it inoperable and necessitating an immediate shutdown.The devastating fire incident at the Akosombo Dam reportedly occurred at approximately 2:01 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, when the substation, one of the most vital installations within Ghana’s electricity transmission network, was suddenly engulfed by flames.Read alsoBig dumsor hits Ghana as Akosombo power house burns, GRIDCo shares plansMeanwhile, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has ordered the Chief Executive Officer of GRIDCo to step aside for investigations into a fire incident at the Akosombo power control centre.In a post on X by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, he said there had been a major shake-up in the leadership of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti Region.He, however, did not state the reasons for the shake-up but disclosed that John Jinapor will brief Ghanaians on developments in his sector on Monday, April 27, 2026.“Minister for Energy and Green Transition has asked the CEO of GRIDCo to step aside pending investigations into the fire incident at the Akosombo power control centre. Also, there has been a major shake-up in the leadership of the ECG in the Ashanti Region,” he stated.Meanwhile, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition is expected to hold a major press briefing on recent developments in electricity distribution at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2026.Read alsoPrempeh College seeks urgent payment for land use in Interchange projectIn a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Blessed Godsbrain Smart popularly called Captain Smart blamed the ongoing power challenges in parts of Ghana on alleged misconduct by some staff of the ECG.He claimed that the "dumsor" situation is not solely due to technical or systemic issues, but is being worsened by human factors within the power distribution system.His comments come at a time when many Ghanaians are expressing frustration over erratic power supply and its impact on daily life.JOIN IN: Suspicious Content In Your Feed? Bust It With Our Free and Brief Fact-Checking Course. Get a Certificate!Source: YEN.com.gh Salifu Bagulube Moro (Human-Interest Editor) Salifu Bagulube Moro is a Current Affairs Editor at YEN.com.gh. He has over five years of experience in journalism. He graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2018, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies with a specialization in Journalism. Salifu previously worked with Opera News as a Content Management Systems (CMS) Editor. He also worked as an Online Reporter for the Ghanatalksbusiness.com news portal, as well as with the Graphic Communications Group Limited as a National Service Person. Salifu joined YEN.com.gh in 2024. Email: [email protected].