The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, is under fire after a JoyNews investigation debunked his claims regarding the commissioning of a new Bulk Supply Point (BSP) in the Ashanti Region.
During an appearance on Newsfile on Saturday, May 2, 2026, the Minister attempted to reassure residents of Kumasi—who have battled weeks of erratic power supply—by claiming he had already “commissioned a new Bulk Supply Point” in the city. However, a “Luv Fact Check” conducted on the ground has found that no such facility exists.
The Investigative Findings
Physical inspections and data from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) reveal a starkly different reality than the one presented by the Minister:
- Existing Infrastructure: Currently, Kumasi is served by only two major Bulk Supply Points—the Anwomaso BSP and the Ridge BSP. These facilities have been operational for years and are currently struggling under the weight of increased demand.
- The “Phantom” Third BSP: While plans for a third BSP at Fromoase (along the Buoho-Offinso road) have been in the pipeline for over a decade, investigators found only a cleared, empty plot of land with zero construction activity.
- Funding Gaps: The ECG Managing Director, Ing. Kwame Kpekpena, corroborated the fact-check during a recent tour on April 23, 2026, admitting that the government has yet to even secure funding for the project, making a commissioning ceremony impossible.
A Pattern of Misinformation?
The Minister’s claim comes at a time of heightened tension in the energy sector. Following the Akosombo substation fire in late April, which wiped out over 1,000MW of generation capacity, the Ashanti Region has been hit particularly hard by “DUMSOR.”
By claiming that infrastructure is already commissioned when it hasn’t even broken ground, the Minister is accused of gaslighting a public that is already frustrated by power-related business losses. While Dr. Jinapor later clarified that “interventions” were ongoing—including a transformer upgrade at the Ridge Substation scheduled for May 6–9—the specific claim of a commissioned BSP remains a verified falsehood.
The Consequences of the Gap
Energy experts warn that Kumasi’s power reliability cannot be fixed with minor transformer swaps alone. Without the third BSP at Fromoase, the existing transmission lines remain dangerously overloaded.
For the people of Kumasi, the Minister’s “phantom” BSP is more than just a political slip; it represents a failure to be honest about the timelines for actual relief. As the Minority in Parliament continues to call for accountability, this latest fact-check adds fuel to the argument that the “reset” in the energy sector is being built on rhetoric rather than reinforced concrete.
