Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has dismissed reports suggesting he claimed the contractor for the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam was not paid, describing the circulating information as false and misleading.
A flyer shared on social media, captioned “Pwalugu Dam contractor was not paid,” attributed the statement to the minister and referenced a May 2024 comment he made while serving as Ranking Member on Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee.
Responding to the claims, Dr. Jinapor clarified that he did not make such remarks during his recent appearance before Parliament’s Government Assurances Committee.
“I wish to state, in the clearest possible terms, that this publication is entirely false, misleading, and a gross misrepresentation of the facts,” he said.
According to the minister, the proceedings of the committee session, which were broadcast live, do not support the claims being circulated.
He explained that his actual position was that the contractor had received payment but failed to carry out the required work.
“I explicitly stated that the contractor had been paid but subsequently absconded with the funds without executing any corresponding work,” he noted.
Dr. Jinapor added that the matter is currently under investigation and has been referred to the Attorney General and Minister for Justice for further action, including possible prosecution.
He further clarified that in response to follow-up questions, he maintained that no payment was made for work done, reinforcing his earlier explanation.
The minister described attempts to misrepresent his comments as unfortunate and warned that such actions could undermine public trust in the handling of key national projects.
He urged the public to disregard the circulating claims and encouraged both media practitioners and citizens to verify information through credible and official sources before sharing.