CEMSE director disputes claims of 1,350 missing ECG containers at Tema Port

Mr. Benjamin Nsiah, Executive Director of CEMSE, denies claims about missing containers. He stated that 1,350 containers from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) are not truly missing. While they may be "missing" quantitatively, they can still be traced.

Mr. Nsiah questioned how these containers went into demurrage. He noted they were transferred to a Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) bonded warehouse and auctioned off. He emphasized that those who authorized the auction and buyers can be identified.

He argued that the specialized materials in the containers are hard to sell openly. Some ECG workers might have bought items from auction buyers and resold them to ECG due to needs.

Although Mr. Nsiah has not seen the committee report led by Prof. Innocent Senyo Acquah, he believes the containers should be accounted for by GRA. He reiterated that records exist detailing who authorized sales and purchases.

In an interview on Accra 100.5 FM on March 26, 2025, Mr. Nsiah raised concerns about liability issues within ECG. He revealed ECG's financial challenges, noting a liability drop from 52% in 2021-2022 to 35% in 2022-2023.

To ease ECG’s financial burden, he suggested debt securitization through long-term bonds lasting 15 to 20 years. The interest proceeds could help settle outstanding liabilities.

Earlier, Minister John Abdulai Jinapor expressed serious concerns over the missing ECG containers at Tema Harbour. A committee investigating this issue found alarming procurement breaches over several years.

On March 25, Mr. Jinapor shared a Facebook post about a detailed report with disturbing findings regarding the missing containers and procurement violations.

He assured the public that law enforcement agencies would hold responsible parties accountable for their actions. The disappearance of these containers raises significant concerns about transparency in the energy sector.