Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has taken a swipe at the Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, accusing him of failing to address deep-rooted financial challenges at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) during his tenure as Board Chair.
Speaking at the Parliamentary Leadership Conference on Wednesday, October 22, Mr. Ayariga dismissed Afenyo-Markin’s earlier criticism that the government had increased electricity tariffs twice in 2025, arguing that the current financial difficulties at ECG stem from mismanagement under the previous administration.
According to the Majority Leader, the debts inherited from the past government continue to burden the power distributor, and Afenyo-Markin bears responsibility for leaving behind significant liabilities.
“You [Akufo-Addo government] left us with a huge and unreasonable debt at ECG. You [Afenyo-Markin] were the Board Chair of ECG. You know how much debt was left. You yourself have admitted it on the floor of Parliament during a debate about how bad the situation at ECG was when you assumed the leadership role as Board Chair.
“And the effort you tried to make to address that situation. At the time you were leaving office, you hadn’t fixed it. The debt is still lying there; who is going to pay for those debts?” he asked.
Mr. Ayariga further accused the previous administration of manipulating electricity pricing for political advantage, claiming it blocked tariff reviews by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in 2024.
“In 2024, you stopped PURC from adjusting tariffs because you were afraid of its implications for you on your electoral fortunes in the elections. The records are there; you stopped them. The debts kept mounting,” he said.
He stressed that the current government’s tariff adjustments were aimed at stabilising the energy sector and ensuring the long-term financial health of ECG, warning that failure to take such steps could have plunged the sector into deeper crisis.
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