Blackouts grip parts of Ghana once again, plunging homes and businesses into darkness and reigniting the dreaded memories of “Dumsor,” the persistent power outages that plagued the country in 2015.
This time, even celebrities like popular actress and entrepreneur Lydia Forson are raising their voices, urging Ghanaians not to downplay the severity of the situation.
Forson’s message on Platform X resonated with many Ghanaians who have been enduring intermittent power cuts since January 9th. She declared, “If I write about #dumsor, I don’t want any of you dimwits under my tweets giving analysis on why this is different from 2015! The lights are off, and I want them on; that’s all I care about.”
The frustration extends beyond social media. Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah slammed the government’s silence on the issue, calling it “deafening.” He criticized the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) for the lack of a load-shedding timetable, leaving households and businesses in the dark about when they can expect power.
“The lack of transparency and communication regarding the power outage schedule only adds to the frustration and inconvenience experienced by the affected population,” Buah emphasized. He further pointed out that while the current outages may not be as severe as those in 2015, the silence from media outlets associated with the ruling party is telling.
Experts like Nana Amoasi VII, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security, paint a bleak picture. He warns of more outages in the coming days, attributing them to the shortage of natural gas, the crucial fuel needed to power many electricity plants.
