Energy Minister John Abdulai Jinapor has called for sweeping reforms in how power distributors, especially the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), communicate with their customers during outages.

Speaking on PM Express on Joy News on Wednesday, April 30, he said delays, misinformation and poor coordination were eroding public trust in the sector.

“It’s been tough, it’s been difficult,” he admitted. “It’s going to take very difficult decisions, and we’ve started implementing some decisions.”

He explained that while infrastructure challenges are real, excuses can no longer be tolerated, especially when it comes to customer service.

“Yes, the transformers are obsolete. Yes, we inherited a weak system. But I do not see why the lights always go off when it rains. It makes no sense to me.”

Referring to a rainstorm the previous day, he said, “Yesterday[April 29], about 21 feeders went off. And they said, the equipment and machinery are so obsolete. That is what we’ve inherited. We now must ensure that we upgrade it and make it more robust.”

But he quickly added, “There is also a human factor. When the lights go off, what is the response time? People must move in immediately. Sometimes people say, we’ve been off for one day, two days, and nobody has come. That is unacceptable. It will stop.”

He revealed that he had called a crisis meeting with ECG that very afternoon.

“We’re having a very crucial meeting. I told them: stretch yourself beyond what you are doing now. We must get to a level where, when it rains, the lights stay on.”

The Minister was visibly frustrated by poor internal communication at ECG. He recounted a personal experience that exposed the disconnect.

“I went to a shop to buy something. The woman said the light had been off since 11 am. She called the control centre, and they told her they were sending technical people. But I called the MD, and he said, ‘Oh, we’ve announced that we’re doing routine work and will finish by 5 pm.’”

He said the problem wasn’t the work—it was the misinformation.

“That lady should have been told: don’t worry, we’re improving the lines. It will be done by 5 pm. But if you say the men are coming and they don’t come, it creates a problem.”

John Jinapor insisted on the need for better alignment within ECG and greater respect for customers.

“People can endure inconvenience if you tell them the truth. But don’t lie to customers. Don’t keep them in the dark—literally and figuratively.”

He emphasised that his ministry is working on short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions. But immediate reforms in customer service and communication were non-negotiable.

“Let’s deal with the little things now. Response time. Accurate updates. Respect for the customer. These must change—and they will.”