Sankofaonline Editorial Commentary – October 31, 2025
In a year marked by economic strain and rising public frustration, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has delivered a staggering blow to fiscal discipline. According to the 2023 Auditor-General’s Report presented to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, ECG overspent its approved budget by GH¢189 million, without authorization, without restraint, and without shame.
This is not a clerical error. It is a systemic failure. A deliberate bypass of budgetary controls. A mockery of public trust.
The breakdown is as shocking as it is revealing. Foreign training alone consumed GH¢31 million, against an approved ceiling of GH¢910,000. Cleaning expenses ballooned to GH¢29 million, more than 20 times the allocated amount. Honorarium payouts soared to GH¢33.8 million, while consultancy fees hit GH¢40 million, dwarfing the approved GH¢8.6 million. From hotel bills to publicity stunts, the excesses are not just financial, they are moral.
Sankofaonline will not normalize this. We will not sanitize it. We will not forget it.
The Ripple Effects: Erosion of Trust, Collapse of Services
When public institutions treat budgets as suggestions rather than mandates and controls , the consequences are far-reaching:
- Essential services suffer. Funds meant for infrastructure, maintenance, and rural electrification are diverted to luxury travel and inflated honorariums.
- Investor confidence wanes. International partners and donors lose faith in Ghana’s governance structures, jeopardizing future support.
- Citizens pay twice. First through taxes, then through unreliable service delivery and rising tariffs.
This is not just about ECG. It is about the precedent we set. The culture of thievery in public office we have tolerated over the years and above all the silence we endorse.
Why Legal Action Is Non-Negotiable
At Sankofaonline, we believe that accountability is not optional,it is foundational. The perpetrators of this fiscal breach must face the law for three critical reasons:
- To restore public confidence. Ghanaians deserve to know that no one is above scrutiny, and no institution is immune to consequence.
- To deter future violations. Without legal repercussions, budgetary abuse continues to become recurring feature, not an isolated scandal.
- To uphold constitutional integrity. The Public Financial Management Act exists for a reason. Violating it must trigger the full weight of the law.
We call on Parliament, the Attorney-General, and civil society to demand prosecutions, not just explanations. We urge the media to sustain coverage, not just headlines. And we implore the ECG leadership to cooperate fully, not defensively.
A Final Word
This is not a partisan issue. It is a patriotic one. The misuse of GH¢189 million is not just a financial statistic, it is a betrayal of every citizen who pays their bills, obeys the law, and expects better.
At Sankofaonline, we stand for truth, transparency, and justice. And we will continue to amplify the voices that demand it.
Let the law speak. Let impunity end. Let Ghana rise.
