The Minority in Parliament has sounded the alarm over Ghana’s worsening power crisis, accusing President John Mahama’s administration of dragging the country back into an era of erratic electricity supply, popularly known as ‘dumsor.’
Just two months into Mahama’s new tenure, the opposition has expressed grave concerns over the crippling effects of power outages on businesses, households, and essential services. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Stephen Amoah, MP for Nhyiaeso and Minority spokesperson, criticised the government’s handling of the energy sector, warning that the situation is already taking a toll on the economy.
Amoah stressed that small businesses such as dressmakers, ice water vendors, and hair salons are among the hardest hit by the renewed power crisis. He argued that the government has failed to keep the lights on since assuming office on January 7, 2025.
“Businesses, particularly small ones like dressmakers, ice water sellers, and hair salons, are suffering due to the return of dumsor,” Amoah stated.
The Minority also highlighted the impact of power cuts on healthcare delivery, with hospitals and clinics struggling to maintain operations. “Many hospitals and clinics have started counting their losses as medical patients have become more exposed to the risks of survival due to the inability of these facilities to conduct regular operations,” the statement read.
The Mahama government has attributed the power outages to maintenance works on the West Africa Gas Pipeline. However, the Minority questioned why similar maintenance activities under the previous administration did not lead to prolonged blackouts.
“We do not know whether under the NPP government, the Gas Pipeline was going through similar maintenance. If so, why were the lights on, but cannot be on today because of the maintenance of the Pipeline?” Amoah queried.
The opposition insists that Mahama’s government has failed to present a credible explanation for the crisis and is demanding immediate measures to restore stable electricity. With uncertainty surrounding the duration of the outages, the Minority has called on the government to publish a load-shedding timetable to allow