Ghana’s Electricity Company gets an experienced electrician as new caretaker MD

GHANA – The government of Ghana has appointed Kwame Agyeman-Budu as the interim Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) following the exit of Eng. Samuel Boakye Appiah who served for three years.

Mr. Agyeman-Budu, until his appointment, was serving as the Electricity Company’s Deputy Managing Director in charge of Corporate Services.

The outgone CEO was appointed in February 2017 by President Nana Akufo-Addo on an acting capacity until a substantive CEO was approved, Ghana Web reports.

A letter written by the Energy Ministry which terminated Eng. Boakye-Appiah tenure at the company said: “It is observed that your contract as Care-Taker Chief Executive Officer of the Electricity Company of Ghana expired in 2018.”

 “In this regard, I am directed to request you to take necessary steps to hand over your duties to Mr. Kwame Agyeman-Budu, Deputy Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana with immediate effect,” the letter added.

The announcement comes days after the government officially handed over the country’s electricity distribution business to ECG following the cancellation of the concession agreement with the Power Distribution Services (PDS).

Agyeman-Budu has a rich academic background featuring a Certificate in Facilities Management, Associate Degree in Applied Science Electrical Engineering Technology, Bachelors and ultimately a Masters in Energy Management from the New York Institute of Technology.

The new ECG boss has over 28 years of experience in the energy industry spaning various sectors including of Distributed Generation (Combined Heat & Power – CHP), Solar (Photovoltaic), Advanced Battery, Windmill, and Fuel Cell Technologies.

He also has experience in Alternate Energy, Environmental Audits and Monitoring, Environmental Risk Assessment, Power Plant Systems, Smart Grid Systems, and Systems Engineering and Management.

Mr. Agyeman-Budu has a rich industry experience spanning about 28 years managing several projects, including projects at Consolidated Edison Company (ConEdison) of New York, the largest utility company in the US which serves over 1 million natural gas consumers.

One of the most prominent projects that he has managed is a $15 million Tension Gateway Project (GEP) at LaGuardia Airport.