Tema Harbour just became the center of a huge discovery. A government-led investigation recently uncovered a staggering 2,637 containers belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) that had been missing for quite some time.
That’s way more than the 1,300 containers people initially thought were lost. A joint task force, made up of folks from National Security, the Ministry of Transport, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and Customs, has been digging into this mess.
Where Exactly Were These Containers Found?
Turns out, the containers weren’t hiding in just one spot. They were scattered across several terminals at Tema Harbour, making the whole situation even messier. Richmond Rockson, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, broke down the numbers as of April 30, 2025:
- 860 containers at Meridian Port Services
- 1,237 containers at GPHA Terminals
- 272 containers have already been evacuated by National Security
- 194 containers at Amaris Terminal
- 20 containers at the ATLAS Manufacturing Terminal
This widespread issue shows just how tangled up the backlog has gotten, a real headache for everyone running the port.
Why This Matters: Overstaying Containers and Demurrage Fees
Most of these containers, around 2,437 of them, have overstayed the 60-day clearance window. That’s bad news because it means ECG now owes huge demurrage fees to the port authorities. The Ministry of Energy is clear: ECG has to cough up the fees to help clear this backlog and get things moving again.
To get a handle on the situation, the Chief of Staff has ordered that all the containers be moved from the port to secure ECG warehouses. On top of that, there’ll be a full inventory check to figure out exactly what’s inside all these containers and make sure nothing’s missing.
The Root of the Problem: Procurement and Clearance Irregularities
Digging deeper, the investigation has also uncovered some sketchy procurement practices within ECG’s management, which have muddied the waters around how these containers got stuck in the first place. Earlier audits were all over the place: ECG initially claimed about 2,491 uncleared containers at Tema Harbour, but independent auditors could only verify 1,134, leaving over 1,300 containers unaccounted for. That’s what sparked this full-on probe.
The goal now is to clear up these discrepancies and make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
What’s Next?
Finding these 2,637 containers is a major step forward, but only 40 have actually been cleared so far. Criminal investigations are still underway to figure out who’s responsible for the disappearance and mismanagement of the ECG containers.
Authorities are pushing hard for transparency and want to restore some order to what’s been a pretty chaotic situation at Tema Harbour.
Summary of the Tema Harbour ECG Container Situation
- 2,637 ECG containers were found at Tema Harbour, more than double the original missing count.
- Containers are scattered across multiple terminals, with big demurrage fees piling up.
- ECG must pay the fees and secure the containers in the warehouses.
- Investigation uncovered procurement irregularities and clearance problems.
- Criminal probes continue into who’s behind the container chaos.
If you’re curious, this whole saga shines a light on how complex and fragile port operations can be, especially when big players like ECG get tangled in mismanagement. It’s a story that’s still unfolding, and it’ll be interesting to see how the authorities finally bring order to the mess.
