National Coordinator for the District Road and Improvement Programme (DRIP), Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has called on Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Limited to refund all monies and properties it collected on behalf of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) during its brief concession period.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Mr. Vanderpuye said PDS must also issue a formal apology to Ghanaians for what he described as a failed and deceptive venture that denied the nation a crucial opportunity to reform its power distribution sector.
“The PDS was an opportunity for us to fix the structural problems of ECG once and for all,” he stated. “We had a chance to receive support to build our capacity and strengthen the institution, but we lost it. The whole thing turned out to be a mirage.”
He welcomed the government’s intervention to terminate the concession and the final resolution of the arbitration case but insisted that closure of the legal process should not end the pursuit of accountability.
“I’m happy there has been finality as far as arbitration is concerned, but the best course now is for PDS to refund all monies collected on behalf of ECG and apologise to Ghanaians,” he asserted. “Every individual involved in that deal should also face the law.”
PDS assumed control of ECG’s operations in 2019 under a 20-year concession agreement, part of the Millennium Challenge Compact between the Government of Ghana and the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The deal aimed to inject private-sector efficiency into ECG and enhance power distribution nationwide.
However, the contract was short-lived. Within months, the government suspended and later terminated the agreement after discovering that payment guarantees purportedly issued by Al Koot Insurance and Reinsurance Company of Qatar were fraudulent. These guarantees were meant to secure PDS’s financial obligations.
Investigations confirmed that Al Koot had not authorised the guarantees—a finding later upheld by Qatar’s Court of Cassation, which ruled the documents were forged.
PDS subsequently filed an arbitration case in London, claiming wrongful termination and demanding more than US$390 million in compensation. ECG, represented by Omnia Strategy LLP under Cherie Blair KC, successfully defended Ghana’s position. The tribunal dismissed all PDS claims, bringing closure to years of controversy surrounding the concession.
Mr. Vanderpuye said the ruling vindicated Ghana’s stance but stressed that accountability must go further.
“We must ensure that PDS refunds every property and amount that rightfully belongs to ECG,” he emphasised. “Only then can Ghanaians have confidence that justice has truly been served.”