Newly appointed Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu has called on the media to join him as he plans to clamp down on illegalities within the energy sector.

The former Lands and Natural Resources Minister who led a massive campaign against illegal mining (galamsey), said he is ready to rid the energy sector off illegal connections.

Addressing the media at a farewell encounter at the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, Mr. Amewu said illegal connection is the root of waste in the energy sector, hence his resolve to get rid of it.

“One of my key concerns which we are going to address immediately with the involvement of all Ghanaians has to do with illegal connection.”

“Illegal connection is a problem to the sector in terms of waste. Mostly, they are results from this connection, so we will be needing the media support just like we did in the fight against galamsey to see how we can address the illegal connection,” Mr. Amewu stated.

He said the energy sector is the backbone for government’s industrialisation plans.

The Energy Minister therefore issued a strong word of caution to persons involved in illegal connection.

“So I think that this is going to be a strong warning to the people who are involved in illegality in terms of their electrical usage, they better get prepared.”

“District officers who are sitting in Districts having illegal connections being done in their district; well, this is a word to them,” he stated.

According to the former Lands and Natural Resources Minister, a clamp down on illegal connection will save government some money that can be chanelled into other projects.

“If we are able to flash out those illegalities, of course we will see that debts in terms of the energy sector debt will gradually reduce.”

Mr. Amewu further said transmission and distribution losses within the energy sector will also be dealt with.

He added that there are plans to focus more on renewables; stating that, MMDAs will be moved from the national grid to renewables.

Mr. Amewu was made the substantive Energy Minister following the removal of then minister, Boakye Agyarko who was accused of misleading the president in a supposed renegotiated Ameri deal.

On the issue of Ameri, John Peter Amewu said he will have a consultative engagement with management of Ameri.