Today, Monday, 28 April, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, firmly denied allegations circulating on social media that he had described 70% of Tamale residents as power thieves. 

In a press statement issued this morning, Mr Jinapor labelled the reports as “entirely false, contrived and baseless,” urging the public to disregard such claims. 

“The audio-visual recordings will confirm that at no point during my visit did I refer to people of Tamale as power thieves,” he emphasised.

Clarifying his actual comments, Mr Jinapor explained that he had expressed concern about the high Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses in the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) operational region. 

He noted that these losses, which are the highest in the area, have contributed significantly to frequent power outages. 

“For the avoidance of doubt, technical and collection losses have nothing to do with power theft but rather signify the inefficiencies of the utility company,” he stated.

The Minister further highlighted the need for urgent reforms within the power sector in Tamale, calling for “significant investments and operational efficiency” to tackle the ongoing challenges. 

He stressed that improvements in revenue collection and technical operations were essential to achieving a “reliable, consistent and uninterrupted power supply” for the people of Tamale. 

Mr Jinapor’s call to action signals a broader agenda of enhancing energy service delivery across the Northern regions.

In concluding his statement, Mr Jinapor reaffirmed his deep respect and loyalty to the people of Tamale, describing them as his kinsmen. 

“Let me finally assure the chiefs, elders and people of Tamale of my utmost respect and reverence to them and will never use derogatory words to describe my kinsmen,” he said. 

His strong rebuttal appears aimed at preserving community trust while addressing the technical challenges in the region’s energy distribution system.