Samuel Abu Jinapor Esq., Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, has been designated by President Nana Akufo-Addo to take up Cabinet oversight responsibility over the Ministry of Energy.
The President has also directed the newly appointed Minister-of-State at the Ministry of Energy, Herbert Krapa, to be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Ministry.
These directives from the Presidency, given on Thursday July 11, were necessitated by the resignation of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as Minister for Energy after he became the running mate to partner Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia, flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the December 2024 presidential elections.
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“The President has asked the two persons to liaise closely with Dr. Opoku Prempeh to ensure a smooth transition in the affairs of the Ministry.
“The President extends his best wishes and God’s blessings to Dr. Opoku Prempeh in his new role, and is confident that he will continue to serve the party and the nation with distinction”, a statement from the Presidency, and signed by Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin, noted.
The new role of Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency, as Minister with Cabinet oversight at the Ministry of Energy would be in addition to his existing role as substantive Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
It is a critical time to oversee the Ministry of Energy because the new role would mean Samuel Jinapor would have to find immediate and lasting solutions to the challenges of crude oil production and the controversies surrounding power generation and distribution.
Though Government has produced verifiable data to prove that since 2019, there has been a sustained decline in issues of intermittent power cuts, there still remains a vast room for improvement.
This would not be the first time Samuel Abu Jinapor is been designated to take up Cabinet oversight responsibilities at other Ministries while he maintains his position as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
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When former Minister for Trades and Industry, Alan Kyeremanten resigned in January 2013, Samuel Jinapor took over as caretaker Minister until April of same year when K.T. Hammond was appointed as substantive Minister for Trade.
In the early parts of 2024, Samuel Jinapor was again designated as designated caretaker Minister for the Ministry of Environment, Science Technology and Innovation until Ophelia Mensah Hayford was later sworn into office as substantive Minister.
