Jinapor
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President
Akufo-Addo
has
designated
the
Minister
for
Lands
and
Natural
Resources,
and
Member
of
Parliament
for
Damongo
Constituency,
Samuel
A.
Jinapor,
to
exercise
oversight
responsibility
for
the
Energy
Ministry.
This
follows
the
resignation
of
the
Minister
for
Energy,
Dr.
Matthew
Opoku-Prempeh,
who
is
now
running
mate
to
the
Presidential
Candidate
of
the
New
Patriotic
Party
(NPP),
Dr.
Mahamudu
Bawumia.
Several
names
came
up
for
the
running
mate
position
after
the
election
of
Dr.
Bawumia
as
the
NPP’s
flagbearer.
However,
the
flagbearer
settled
on
the
Manhyia
South
Legislator,
who
previously
served
as
Minister
for
Education
before
moving
to
the
Ministry
of
Energy.
On
Tuesday,
9th
July,
2024,
Dr.
Opoku-Prempeh
was
out
doored
as
the
running
mate
to
the
NPP’s
Flagbearer
at
a
durbar
in
Kumasi
Following
his
unveiling,
Dr.
Opoku
Prempeh
is
set
to
has
resigned
from
his
position
as
Minister
for
Energy
to
focus
on
working
with
the
flagbearer.
A
Statement
issued
by
the
Director
of
Communications
at
the
Presidency,
Mr.
Eugene
Arhin,
on
Thursday
11th
July,
2024,
said
the
President
has
accepted
the
resignation
of
Dr.
Opoku-Prempeh
as
Energy
Minister
with
effect
from
18th
July,
2024.
The
Statement,
also,
said
the
President
has
asked
the
Minister
for
Lands
and
Natural
Resources,
Samuel
A.
Jinapor,
to
have
Cabinet
oversight
responsibility
for
the
Ministry
of
Energy,
while
the
Minister
of
State
designate
for
the
Ministry
of
Energy,
Herbert
Krapa
will
be
responsible
for
the
day-to-day
administration
of
the
Ministry.
Mr.
Jinapor’s
oversight
responsibility
over
the
Ministry
will
be
in
addition
to
his
substantive
role
as
the
Minister
responsible
for
Lands
and
Natural
Resources.
This
is
the
third
time
the
President
has
given
Mr.
Jinapor
additional
responsibilities
over
other
Ministries.
It
will
be
recalled
that
following
the
resignation
of
the
former
Minister
for
Trade
and
Industry,
Mr.
John
Allan
Kwadwo
Kyerematen,
the
President
on
13th
January,
2023,
appointed
Mr.
Jinapor
as
the
caretaker
minister
for
the
Ministry
of
Trade
and
Industry,
a
position
he
held
for
three
(3)
months
until
Hon.
K.T.
Hammond
was
sworn
in
as
Minister
for
Trade
in
April,
2023.
Again,
following
the
Ministerial
reshuffle
in
February
this
year,
the
Lands
and
Natural
Resources
Minister
was
designated
caretaker
Minister
for
the
Ministry
of
Environment,
Science
Technology
and
Innovation
(MESTI),
pending
the
approval
by
Parliament
of
the
then
Minister-designate,
Ophelia
Mensah
Hayford.
This
shows
the
confidence
the
Government
has
in
Mr.
Jinapor.
For
the
short
period
he
spent
at
the
Ministry
of
Trade
and
Industry,
Mr.
Jinapor
championed
some
critical
policy
matters,
including
a
Policy
on
Consumer
Protection.
In
a
Policy
Statement
delivered
to
Parliament,
he
emphasised
the
need
to
enact
a
Consumer
Protection
Law,
and
establish
Consumer
Protection
Agency,
to
protect
the
rights
of
consumers,
arguing
that
the
common
law
remedies
under
contract
and
tort
are
inadequate
to
protect
consumers.
As
Minister
with
Cabinet
oversight
responsibility
over
the
Energy
Ministry,
Mr.
Jinapor
will
be
required
to
deal
with
some
pressing
energy
matters,
including
the
power
situation
in
the
country,
the
intermittent
lights
out,
and
crude
oil
production,
which
has
been
on
the
decline
since
2019,
according
to
the
Public
Interest
and
Accountability
Committee’s
(PIAC’s)
2023
Report.
Since
the
power
sector
plays
a
crucial
role
in
every
election,
Mr.
Jinapor’s
designation,
barely
six
months
to
the
election,
is
a
crucial
one,
as
analysts
look
forward
to
the
innovations
he
will
bring
to
the
sector.