 in Tamale.){kind=link}
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, and his delegation were on Tuesday, August 5, turned away from the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi, deepening tensions over the suspension of operations by the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) in Tamale.
The Minister had travelled to the palace to meet the Overlord of Dagbon in a bid to mend strained relations between NEDCo and the traditional authority following days of public anger over power outages and perceived disrespect toward the palace.
However, palace sources told reporters that the Overlord declined to grant the Minister an audience, insisting that no dialogue would take place until electricity was fully restored to all affected communities. The Minister and his team were subsequently asked to leave the palace grounds.
NEDCo recently suspended operations in parts of Tamale, citing security concerns and interference from residents during its work. The decision has triggered a backlash from local leaders and residents, who describe the move as high-handed and detrimental to livelihoods.
The standoff between the utility provider and the traditional authority has heightened calls for urgent intervention to restore power and rebuild trust in the region’s electricity management.