Mahama Ayariga is the Majority Leader in Parliament (L) and Minority Leader, Afenyo-Markin (R)
Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga has lambasted the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin for failing to resolve the mounting debt of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) during his tenure as Board Chair.
Speaking at the Parliamentary Leadership Conference on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Ayariga dismissed Afenyo-Markin’s earlier claims that the current government had unjustifiably increased electricity tariffs twice this year.
Instead, he pointed to mismanagement under the previous administration as the root cause of ECG’s financial woes.
“You [Akufo-Addo government] left us with a huge and unreasonable debt at ECG. You [Afenyo-Markin] were the Board Chair of ECG. You know how much debt was left. You yourself have admitted it on the floor of Parliament during a debate about how bad the situation at ECG was when you assumed the leadership role as Board Chair,” the Majority Leader stated.
“And the effort you tried to make to address that situation. At the time you were leaving office, you hadn’t fixed it. The debt is still lying there; who is going to pay for those debts?” he asked.
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Ayariga further accused the previous administration of manipulating electricity pricing for political advantage, claiming it blocked tariff reviews by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in 2024.
“In 2024, you stopped PURC from adjusting tariffs because you were afraid of its implications for you on your electoral fortunes in the elections. The records are there; you stopped them. The debts kept mounting,” he said.
Ayariga argued that the financial strain inherited from the previous government continues to weigh heavily on ECG, and that Afenyo-Markin bears responsibility for leaving behind unresolved liabilities.
He also accused the former administration of politically motivated interference, claiming they blocked tariff adjustments by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in 2024 to avoid electoral backlash.
“In 2024, you stopped PURC from adjusting tariffs because you feared the political consequences. The records are there. And while you stalled, the debts kept piling up,” Ayariga stated.
He defended the current government’s decision to adjust tariffs, saying it was necessary to stabilise the energy sector and secure ECG’s long-term financial health.
Without such measures, he warned, the sector could have faced an even deeper crisis.
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