Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on the government of Ghana to be truthful with the people over the recurring power outages, referred to among locals as Dumsor, after it reappeared in the past weeks. In a statement released on his official social media handles, Mahama accused the government of failing to tackle the root causes of the challenges in power supply, resulting in widespread discomfort and disruption to businesses and daily life.
"Many parts of the country are once again witnessing power outages that remind them of the Dumsor days," Mahama said. He further reiterated that these resurfacing of Dumsor is not coincidental but due to systemic issues in the energy sector that the current administration has failed to address.
Former President Mahama observed that while the government has, on many occasions, sought to assure Ghanaians of stability in the supply of power, this suggestion has been belied by the constant cuts. He therefore challenged the government to state openly the reason for the cuts, which include obsolete infrastructure, inadequate generating capacity, and mismanagement of resources.
In the past weeks, Ghanaians from a number of regions have been going through frequent and lengthy power cuts, particularly in the capital city, Accra. This has prompted most of the residents and businesses to take their frustrations over the unwanted power cuts to social media. Some businesses did complain of financial losses incurred as a result of such interruptions.
This is amid the sharp rise in energy costs and growing discontent in Ghana over the way the incumbent administration has managed affairs in the sector. Former President Mahama had also demanded that immediate reforms necessary for long-term solutions to the power crisis should be made, and emphasized that Ghanaians need reliable and affordable electricity.
"Instead of denial, the government must come clean and engage in open dialogue with the people to find solutions," Mahama concluded. His words have generated debate, with some supporting his call for transparency, while others say the energy challenges are legacy issues that span many administrations.
As Ghana enters yet another year, the million-dollar question still confronting the State is whether it will do something concrete to ensure that the Dumsor crisis is tackled once and for all.
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