Instead, he advocates for the protection of ECG from political interference, which he believes is critical for the company to function effectively.

Dr. Manteaw’s comments came after the Energy and Green Transition Minister, John Abdulai Jinapor, announced the formation of a seven-member committee to explore potential private sector involvement in ECG. The committee was set up as part of the government’s efforts to address ongoing challenges at ECG, including inefficiencies, financial losses, and mounting debt.

Dr. Manteaw, in a Facebook post, questioned the efficacy of privatising state-owned enterprises, citing the lack of success from past privatisation efforts. He challenged proponents of privatisation to provide examples of successful cases, referring to the history of the Divestiture Implementation Committee. “Let anyone in favour of privatisation of ECG give me one example of privatisation, either outright sale or PSP in the public sector, that has been successful, from the days of the Divestiture Implementation Committee to date,” he said.

Instead, Dr. Manteaw suggested that insulating ECG from political meddling could lead to improvements, pointing to the examples of Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) and GOIL, which have been able to operate more efficiently after being shielded from political influence.

The committee formed by Minister Jinapor, chaired by energy consultant Mr. Jabesh Amisah-Arthur, is tasked with exploring options for private sector involvement to help turn around ECG’s fortunes. Other members of the committee include Dr. Shafic Suleman, Mr. Benjamin Boakye, Dr. Simon Akorli, Mr. Ebenezer Baiden, Mr. Emma Akua Bulley, and Mr. Edward Abrokwah.

Minister Jinapor has emphasized that private sector participation could bring in the expertise, resources, and efficiency needed to overcome ECG’s longstanding challenges. He has also stressed the importance of a non-partisan approach, ensuring the committee works transparently and without political influence.

“We believe there should be private sector participation,” Minister Jinapor said. He added that the process would involve developing a transparent framework with the buy-in of the Ghanaian public, which would eventually be used to set standards for the future of ECG.

Despite these efforts, Dr. Manteaw remains firm in his stance against privatisation, believing that protecting the utility from political influence rather than privatising it would lead to more sustainable and efficient operations.