Did we see it coming?
It’s been over 3 months since the resurgence of this chronic power outage in Ghana.
It began as a short period outage that gave hope to consumers that it would be restored in less than 5 minutes— Little did we know it was a test kit to see what the release of the power outage “timetable” for the ECG would look like. Then, it became a pain in the neck before we could say jack.
The Electricity Company of Ghana has been called upon to share a timetable for load-shedding to aid consumers plan their lives.
The response however has been one that can be termed “disrespectful”, “unfortunate”, and “unexpected” by the sector minister, Mathew Opoku Prempeh saying that those who are calling for the timetable should bring theirs if they so need one published
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in agreement with the Minister says there will be no need for a timetable despite the challenges. Explaining further that the current power situation does not demand the implementation of a load-shedding timetable
Speaking to the media, the External Communications Manager at ECG stated that other factors “may” account for the recent power cut and that what we know “dumsor” is not back in our faces…Does that mean the ECG does not know what is really happening? And if so, why not heed the calls from the public, their regulators; the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), and now the Select Committee on Mines and Energy directing the ECG to publish a load-shedding timetable amidst these power cuts?
The ECG’s adamancy makes me wonder if it’s pride, lack of planning, or sheer incompetence.
Can we just stop politicising everything in Ghana?
Well, I thought ECG’s quest to recoup its monies owed to them was to make way for better services.
This exercise caused the whole Parliament House to be plunged into darkness on February 29, 2024, and a Secondary school – Accra Academy. It took calls from literally everyone for the school’s light to be restored.
A cold store operator in my community has had to empty her fridge of all the proteins and any other perishables she was storing in the fridge as they began going bad due to the frequent power outages.
Going to her after about 2 weeks, she tells me she won’t restock until the issue is fixed as she cannot afford to incur more costs.
The last time I experienced such an unpleasant situation was in Nigeria.
I guess we are now like our sister country where I so wanted to exit because I heard power is never off in Ghana, and even if it will, information will go around for citizens to be abreast and prepare.
To think I jokingly asked a friend abroad what I would get on his arrival, he tells me “I’ll bring you a generator” Agghh! It was funny but, that is our reality as Ghanaians now.
The sound of generators has so left my ears, but I guess I have to psych myself up for them again. How sad?!
Journeying back home from work is now at the mercy of; a tired old driver behind an almost giving up steer wheel, a bad road, and a dim or no lights at all rickety bus without mirrors.
Can citizens know the truth, at least?
We’re tired of living in darkness after others were “cursed” for causing it in their time.
By: Hellen Grace Akomah, a journalist with Citi TV/Citi FM
