Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has announced the formation of a seven-member committee of enquiry to investigate the fire incident at the switchyard of the Ghana Grid Company Limited substation in Akosombo on Thursday, which disrupted power supply in parts of the country.
According to him, the incident is unusual and requires a thorough probe to uncover its root cause.
“The damage is quite extensive. It’s quite serious. From the briefing I received, there was a significant situation that we need to get to the bottom of,” he said.
The committee will be chaired by Ing. Dr. William Amuna, Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana and former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company Limited.
It will include experts from the Ghana National Fire Service, National Security, the Energy Commission, and other relevant institutions to ensure a comprehensive investigation.
He indicated that the committee is expected to present its findings within two to three weeks.
“We expect that within two to three weeks they should be ready with a report so that we can determine the root cause of this challenge and all the issues surrounding this unfortunate incident,” he added.
The Minister disclosed this on Friday during a visit to the substation to assess the extent of damage to the switchyard.
He was accompanied by his deputy, Hon. Richard Gyan-Mensah; the Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority, Ing. Ekow Obeng Kenzo; the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company, Ing. Mark Awuah Baah; and other officials from the ministry.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to restore one of the six units of the Akosombo Hydroelectric Power Station to the national grid today.
The Minister stressed that while investigations are ongoing, the immediate priority remains the restoration of power supply.
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