Former Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, says there was virtually no investment in ECG during President Nana Akufo-Addo’s first term due to plans to privatise the company.
Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on April 10, Mahama noted that the government’s focus on handing ECG over to private operators stalled development efforts.
“All efforts were geared towards privatising ECG, so there was zero investment,” he said, referencing the failed Power Distribution Services (PDS) deal, which briefly transferred ECG’s management before collapsing.
Mahama, who took office in 2022, said a company-wide health check revealed significant data and billing system issues. He explained that although ECG’s customer base had grown, its Commercial Management System (CMS) — a World Bank-supported platform — couldn’t properly register new customers beyond the 4.5 million mark.
“The system was overwhelmed. Many new customers weren’t even captured in the billing structure,” he revealed.
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