The Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE), Ben Nsiah, has criticized the suspension of engineer Mark Awuah Baah following the fire outbreak at Akosombo power station , arguing that technical officers are being unfairly blamed for systemic failures.
Speaking on the matter via a zoom interview on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Nsiah insisted that the report into the incident had vindicated the engineer involved as it proved that the incident was caused by aging cables and challenged the basis for punitive action against him.
“If there has to be a suspension regarding negligence of state institutions, then I think the President and the Minister should go first,” he declared.
According to him, the engineer should be reinstated immediately, stressing that technical experts often understand the challenges facing public infrastructure but lack the financial resources and institutional support needed to address them. He added that what the institution does often is the change of transformers but not old cables.
Nsiah argued that Ghana’s infrastructure challenges are rooted in years of underinvestment rather than individual negligence. He noted that while many countries have modernized critical systems, some of Ghana’s infrastructure dates back several decades.
He further called for independent audits of state institutions responsible for maintaining public infrastructure, saying accountability should extend beyond frontline technical staff.
The CEMPE Director also warned against what he described as “political vandalism,” cautioning that continuous politicization of technical issues could demoralize professionals and undermine efforts to solve the country’s infrastructure problems.
His comments add to the growing debate over responsibility, accountability, and investment in Ghana’s aging public infrastructure.
