Jennifer Queen accuses Jinapor of enabling armed robbers with ‘dumsor alerts’

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Deputy Communications Director, Jennifer Oforiwa Queen, criticized Energy Minister John Jinapor. She accused him of indirectly aiding crime with his comments on electricity issues.

Queen claimed that Jinapor's statements about power outages, known as dumsor, serve as warnings for robbers. “Today when they want to put off the light, they advertise it to armed robbers,” she said. She believes publicizing outages gives criminals an advantage. “John Jinapor is advertising dumsor to empower armed robbers,” she added.

Her criticism comes amid public frustration over ongoing power cuts in Ghana. Jinapor has frequently discussed these issues and demanded government accountability. However, Queen argued that he focuses more on politics than finding real solutions.

In response, Minister John Jinapor defended his comments made before Parliament. He rejected claims that he was merely complaining or grumbling. He stated his remarks were based on transparent leadership and a commitment to solutions.

“I understand grumbling very well,” he said during the Citi Breakfast Show. “I don’t think presenting facts is grumbling.” He pushed back against what he sees as a mischaracterization of his approach.

Jinapor's comments followed his appearance before a parliamentary committee. There, he outlined the realities of the power sector and efforts to stabilize supply. While some viewed his presentation as lamenting current challenges, he emphasized that acknowledging facts is part of responsible governance.