Corn mill operators at the Kaneshie Market in Accra are experiencing significant financial difficulties as a result of the ongoing power outages in the country.
Relying heavily on electricity for their operations, these operators are witnessing a decline in their income streams, which is further exacerbated by the spoilage of soaked corn and other products due to the prolonged power disruptions.
Atsu Djugbatey, a respected figure among the corn mill operators, speaking to Citi News, expressed his frustration and that of his customers, who are displeased with the inconsistent power supply in the country.
Mr. Djugbatey and other operators are calling for a load schedule timetable from the Electricity Company of Ghana to help alleviate their plight.
The power outages make it challenging for the operators to work, as they cannot mill the soaked maize when there is no electricity.
They are left waiting for power restoration at night, which has become their biggest challenge. The operators blame the government for the situation and urge them to address the power crisis.
“The power outage makes us unable to work. When we soak the maize in water, just as we have done there, we can’t mill it. We would have to wait until power is restored at night. That is our biggest challenge.”
“Customers are not happy about the power crises; they’re all complaining. It all boils down to the government. We beg you to take our plight to the government.”
“We don’t get enough to pay for electricity bills. I beg the government, they claim it’s only a maintenance exercise, but that’s not what we are experiencing. This is “dumsor”; we asked for a timetable but we were asked to make our timetable, that’s not a nice way to talk to us. We beg them to come out with a timetable so we know the times there would be power outages.”
Simon Degbey, another corn mill shop operator at the market, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the complaints from customers and the negative impact on their ability to provide for their families.
Mr. Degbey highlighted the loss of cereals left to spoil during power cuts, leading to a decline in sales and further financial strain.
“The complaints are a lot. It has slowed down our work. We are hungry, there’s no money in our pockets to cater for our families.”
“If we soak the maize in water, we are supposed to mill it the day after. But this is no longer the situation because when the maize is soaked for about three to four days, it produces a foul smell. People don’t even buy the dough in the market anymore because of the smell.”
“We beg the government to address the power crisis issues. There’s a high cost of living. We can’t tell what it is with Ghana right now. They should issue a timetable for us because the sporadic outage is worrying us.”
The operators plead with the government to issue a timetable for power outages to help them plan their work and avoid the financial burdens imposed by the erratic power supply.
According to them, their livelihoods are under threat due to the power crisis, leaving them struggling to make ends meet and emphasizing the urgent need for intervention.
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