Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, has denied reports suggesting that he claimed the contractor for the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam, initiated by the previous government, was unpaid—a statement some interpreted as contradicting his previous comments while in opposition.
A flyer circulating on social media, captioned “Pwalugu Dam contractor was not paid”, attributed the statement to the Energy Minister.
The flyer included a snapshot of a May 2024 story with the headline “You’ll account for $12m pumped into non-existent Pwalugu Dam”, attributed to Dr. Jinapor when he was the ranking member on the Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament.
Responding to the report, Dr. Jinapor clarified that he never made such claims during his appearance before the Government Assurances Committee of Parliament on Tuesday.
“I wish to state, in the clearest possible terms, that this publication is entirely false, misleading, and a gross misrepresentation of the facts,” he said.
He explained that at no point during the proceedings—which were broadcast live on various platforms—did he make the statements attributed to him.
Instead, Dr. Jinapor clarified, “I explicitly stated that the contractor had been paid but subsequently absconded with the funds without executing any corresponding work.”
He added: “I further informed the Committee that the matter is under active investigation and has been formally referred to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice for advice and possible prosecution.”
Dr. Jinapor also noted, “In response to a follow-up question from the Chairman seeking clarification, I reiterated that the contractor was not paid for any work done, thereby reaffirming my earlier position.”
According to him, attempts to distort these facts are not only unfortunate but also undermine public discourse and confidence in the management of critical national issues.
He therefore urged the public to disregard the false publication entirely and called on media practitioners and citizens to verify information from credible and official sources before dissemination.
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