President-elect John Dramani Mahama has voiced serious concerns over the critical state of Ghana’s energy sector, calling for urgent and comprehensive reforms to address its numerous challenges.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by Canada’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Myriam Montrat, in Accra on Thursday, December 19, Mr Mahama warned that the sector’s frailty poses a significant threat to the country’s economic stability.

Mr Mahama reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritising reforms aimed at achieving efficiency, sustainability, and reliable energy supply for all citizens. Highlighting the urgency of the situation, he stated, “The energy sector needs urgent surgery; otherwise, it can collapse everything.”

He criticised the outgoing administration’s handling of economic recovery, pointing to a substantial unresolved debt burden as evidence of poor management.

“You have a $2.5 billion debt, your bailout is only $3 billion, and so $2.5 billion sitting and breathing, and you say the economy is turning around,” Mahama remarked, questioning the credibility of the current government’s claims of economic improvement.

The President-elect warned that the unresolved energy sector debt could negate any progress achieved, describing the situation as a potential economic ticking time bomb.

He further suggested that the government’s optimistic economic narrative was misleading and designed to bolster its image before leaving office. “That alone can crush everything that has been done,” Mahama added.