The issue of missing containers belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which were locked at the Tema Port and intended for clearance, has raised significant concerns among stakeholders in the power industry and the general public.

The unaccounted-for containers, numbering over 1,300, have sparked widespread discussions across the media, with the lingering question on the minds of many Ghanaians being how the containers went missing at the Port.

GhanaWeb provides a detailed breakdown of how the containers were found to have gone missing;

Investigative Report

The issue of the missing containers emerged following findings from an investigative report on the state enterprise, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The report revealed that ECG's claim of having 2,491 uncleared containers was inaccurate, as an audit showed that only 1,134 containers were actually at the port, leaving 1,347 missing.

Other key findings from the investigation

The report also made other several discoveries including;

o Before 2022, ECG had a dedicated fund that received weekly allocations for clearing shipments. However, the practice was discontinued due to a lack of funds, as cited by the ECG board.

o Despite financial constraints, ECG awarded contracts to two firms to clear the containers, one of which was pre-financed by ECG.

o One of these companies did not have the necessary licence to handle the contract, raising concerns over procurement violations.

o ECG’s procurement directorate had been merged with its Housing and Estate unit.

o The Director of Procurement had no prior experience in procurement and was not a member of any professional procurement body.

Content of the missing container

The containers at the port were filled with electrical cables and other essential equipment for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

Minister’s reaction

Upon receiving the report and reacting to the development, the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, described the situation as alarming.

He questioned how the containers could have gone missing without any notice being made.

To get to the bottom of the incident, the minister assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted.

He added that he would involve the Attorney General and the Ghana Police Service to help track down the location of the over 1,300 missing containers.

“These containers cannot vanish into thin air. We will work with the Attorney General’s Department and the police to ensure those responsible are held accountable and to recover either the containers or their value,” he said.

He further gave a one-week ultimatum to the ECG restructure its procurement unit and address procurement lapses following the disappearance of more than 1,300 ECG containers at the Tema Port.

Jinapor, further explaining the rationale behind establishing an investigative committee, stated that the former government, during the transition period, had disclosed that 3,000 ECG containers were stuck at the port.

However, he noted that upon assuming office, his team identified inconsistencies in the figures provided, which prompted the need for further investigation.

“Let me set the record straight. During the transition period, the outgoing NPP administration disclosed that approximately 3,000 ECG containers were being held at the Tema Harbour due to the inability of ECG to clear them.

“However, upon assuming office, I visited the Tema Harbour and was presented with a different figure of 2,500 containers, which had incurred a demurrage cost of GH¢1,500,000,000. The discrepancy in these figures prompted me to establish an investigative committee to verify the circumstances surrounding the containers,” he stated.

Jinapor added, “The committee’s report, which was presented to me, confirmed that over 1,300 containers were indeed missing, contrary to the narrative given by the previous administration. As a result, criminal investigations will be launched immediately, and those responsible will undoubtedly be prosecuted. Government remains committed to ensuring that such irregularities do not go unpunished.”

Alleged connivance between port and ECG staff

Meanwhile, a former Deputy Minister for Energy, Collins Adomako Mensah, has expressed the view that officials at the Tema Port and staff of ECG could have colluded and been involved in the disappearance of the containers.

Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV, the lawmaker raised concerns about the gaps and loopholes within the system, emphasising that the containers could not have mysteriously disappeared.

“The missing containers are not just a case of negligence but point to possible collusion between individuals within both institutions,” he said.

MAG/MA

Meanwhile, watch this concluding part of our sit-down with the 100-year-old World War II veteran, who was also present at the 28th February Shooting, below: