Energy Minister John Jinapor Turned Away by Dagbon Overlord Over Power Issues
- Energy Minister John Jinapor and his team have reportedly been turned away from the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi by the Dagbon Overlord
- This stemmed from ongoing power outages and distribution issues affecting Tamale and nearby areas, which have caused dissatisfaction
- Meanwhile, a Palace PRO accused NEDCo staff of disrespect after a chief’s son’s job application was allegedly ripped up by an HR officer
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Energy Minister John Jinapor and his team have reportedly been turned away from the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi by the Dagbon Overlord, Ndan Ya-Naa Abukari II.
This comes after the Minister visited the Gbewaa Palace to engage the Overlord amid recent friction between the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) management and the palace.
Source: Facebook
NEDCo has come under fire for alleged acts of disrespect and for cutting power supply to parts of Tamale, including key traditional areas.
According to media reports, the standoff between the Energy Minister and the Dagbon Overlord stems from persistent power outages and distribution challenges in Tamale and its environs.
During the minister's visit, the Overlord demanded that power be restored to affected areas in Tamale before engaging in any discussions about the NEDCo’s suspended operations.
A video circulating on social media showed Minister Jinapor and his entourage leaving the Gbewaa Palace after they were allegedly turned away by the Overlord of Dagbon.
NEDCo's technical and commercial challenges in Tamale
NEDCo has been grappling with significant technical and commercial losses, largely attributed to power theft and illegal connections.
The minister highlighted that Tamale accounted for a substantial portion of these losses, with illegal connections causing system overloads and frequent power outages.
In a recent statement, Jinapor emphasised the need for urgent reforms within the power sector in Tamale, calling for significant investments and operational efficiency to tackle the ongoing challenges.
Watch the video below:
Palace PRO accuses NEDCo staff of disrespect
In another video sighted by YEN.com.gh, the PRO of the Gukpegu Palace was captured raising concerns with the Energy Minister about the denial of an application by a NEDCO staff member.
He explained that one of their respected chiefs had asked his son to go to NEDCO to be considered for a casual worker position.
Watch the video below:
The PRO further alleged that the chief's son had submitted an application letter, but after reviewing it, a female Human Resource officer at NEDCo identified as Deborah, tore it into pieces, describing her action as disrespectful.
“One of our respected chiefs asked his son to come to NEDCO so they could pick him as a casual worker. He sent an application letter, and after reading it, the HR at NEDCo tore the letter,” he said.
Source: Getty Images
ECG releases new dumsor timetable
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) had announced new areas that were set to experience power cuts, popularly known as dumsor, as part of maintenance works.
The regions affected by the maintenance work were the Greater Accra, Tema, Ashanti, and Volta regions. The ECG had been engaged in maintenance over the past few days, which had caused power disruptions.
Source: YEN.com.gh
