Energy Sector Challenges Driven by Political Interference, Not Leadership Failure – Kofi Bentil

Lawyer and Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has attributed Ghana’s recurring energy challenges to political interference rather than weak technical leadership.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, May 2, he argued that the country’s power sector has been undermined by excessive political involvement in decisions that should be purely technical.

According to him, Ghana’s energy problems are not beyond solution if the sector is properly managed and insulated from politics.

“The biggest problem with our energy is that it has suffered political interference, not leadership and that is why we are where we are because Ghana as a country is not too big and not impossible to manage,” Bentil said.

He stressed that Ghana’s energy system has the capacity to function effectively when professionals are allowed to operate without undue interference.

“The engineers at VRA have proven that if you leave them alone, if you give them the right leadership, there is almost nothing they can’t do,” he noted.

Bentil further described the energy sector as highly politicised and financially attractive, warning that these dynamics continue to distort management and decision-making.

He also called for a more structured and rational approach to energy governance, suggesting reforms that would ensure stability and reduce prolonged outages.

His remarks contribute to ongoing national debate on the stability of Ghana’s power supply and the need for deeper reforms in the energy sector, following the recent fire incident at the Akosombo Dam that disrupted electricity supply in parts of the country.