By: Emmanuel Amoah
Samuel Dubik Mahama, Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has resigned from his position after two years at the helm. His resignation letter was submitted to the ECG board, accompanied by a two-week notice period.
A source confirmed to Graphic Online that Mr. Mahama cited personal reasons for his decision and expressed gratitude to the board for the opportunities and working relationships fostered during his tenure. However, insiders suggest that tensions arose between Mahama, the board, and staff over his management style and vision for the company.
Challenges during Mahama’s leadership, particularly in relation to the company’s prepaid meter billing system, have persisted. Customers frequently complained about their prepaid meters running into negative balances, even when they had credit. The ECG responded by initiating efforts to replace meters and upgrade systems. A significant source of disagreement between Mr. Mahama and the board reportedly revolved around the accounting software used by the company and his proposed approach to managing these technical issues.
In May 2024, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia highlighted internal obstacles within ECG that hindered the government’s push to digitalize revenue collection processes. The prepaid meter system has been a major challenge, with instances of customers experiencing negative balances due to a disconnection between meters and ECG servers. While the official explanation pointed to system glitches, some within the company suggested that recent changes to the accounting software contributed to the problem.
Mr. Mahama assumed the role of ECG Managing Director on May 16, 2022, following a prior role as a non-executive director. Under his leadership, the company embarked on initiatives like a debt recovery exercise in April 2023, which saw the retrieval of over GH¢2 billion in just one month.
However, the financial health of ECG has been strained. The company reported a staggering GH¢10.21 billion loss in 2022, a significant increase from the GH¢1.91 billion loss recorded in 2021. The majority of these losses were attributed to currency depreciation and increased distribution costs.
In February 2024, Mr. Mahama shared that he had refrained from attending public events like weddings and funerals due to the public’s reaction during power outages. He mentioned that he often felt uncomfortable as people would look at him expectantly whenever power went off at events.
As Mr. Mahama steps down, ECG will have to navigate ongoing technical and financial challenges under new leadership.
