By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News, Canada | May 2, 2026
Energy policy expert Ben Boakye has strongly criticized the circumstances surrounding the recent fire at the Akosombo substation, insisting the incident was preventable and should never have happened.
Speaking on the matter, Boakye praised engineers who worked to restore operations but made clear that the damage reflected deeper failures in the sector.
“Thanks to those who worked on GRIDCo to bring Akosombo back on stream. But I have been grieving about that situation since last week. It never should have happened.”
His comments have sparked fresh concerns about the state of Ghana’s electricity transmission infrastructure and whether enough is being done to maintain strategic facilities.
Boakye argued that while the country has invested in improving power generation systems, critical transmission components have been neglected.
“We have retrofitted turbines, but we did not pay attention to the switchyard that carries the load to our homes.”
The Akosombo substation is considered one of the country’s most important power distribution hubs, and any disruption there can affect homes, industries, and businesses nationwide.
He also compared older infrastructure to newly built substations that use more advanced safety technology.
“If you look at new substations like Pokuase and Kasoa, they have modern safety systems.”
According to Boakye, such systems often include thermal cameras, automated shutdown functions, and fire suppression technology that can reduce the risk of major damage.
He suggested Akosombo lacked similar protections and remained too dependent on outdated emergency responses.
“We are relying on basic manual response instead of automated protection.”
Boakye’s sharpest criticism was directed at governance and accountability within the energy sector, saying routine responsibilities are often ignored until disaster strikes.
“Accountability is so defective in the energy sector. Basic things don’t get done, and when they don’t get done, they cost all of us billions of dollars.”
His remarks have renewed calls for a full review of Ghana’s older substations and switchyards to determine whether similar risks exist elsewhere.
For many observers, the fire has become more than a technical incident—it is now a warning about maintenance culture, delayed action, and the real cost of neglect.
