Franklin Cudjoe, the head of Imani Africa, has advised the Ghanaian government to reconsider its intentions to privatise certain operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The government has recently expressed its intention to privatise specific aspects of ECG’s operations. However, Cudjoe believes that this initiative should be postponed for a minimum of one year to allow for practical solutions to be implemented regarding the ongoing energy crisis.
In a post shared on social media, he stated, “I have had a rethink, at least for now, about private sector participation in ECG. It seems to me that instead of rushing to privatise aspects of ECG, we should try the following first for at least a year and a half.”
Cudjoe proposed an alternative approach for the government to tackle the sector’s challenges. He commented, “By the way, I really do not like the ‘mobo’ (forlorn) tone of my brother, the energy minister, when he speaks about the challenges of the energy sector. True, the previous damaging directors left humongous debts, but I assume he knew all of this and must have had a good practical plan while in opposition. Power is everything – the lifeblood of any economy – even more so, a 24-hour economy.”
He outlined several steps that should be taken before considering privatisation:
1. The energy minister and his chief director should commit to a framework of transparency and stakeholder collaboration to establish a clear vision for the sector, focusing on the provision of reliable power in a cost-effective manner. This stakeholder group should encompass all parties involved in the power sector.
2. A commitment to open data and radical transparency should be established.
3. Bi-weekly hybrid town hall meetings should be held, both physically and virtually, to openly discuss all aspects of procurement, performance, operations, milestone tracking, and evaluation. Any information that is not immediately available should be provided within a week.
4. Citizens who participate can join the stakeholder group for the Vision, facilitated by a straightforward digital enrolment system to ensure organisation.
5. Monthly polls should be conducted to gauge the opinions of the stakeholder group, with only those who have attended at least one town hall permitted to participate.
At the six-month mark, participants will be recognised for their contributions and provided with feedback for improvement.
Cudjoe emphasised that this model, referred to as RESET at IMANI – Revitalising the Economy through Stewardship & Ethical Transformation – will not replace formal audits or existing public financial management controls, but rather aims to enhance them and make them more relevant to citizens.
