Ashanti Regional Minister threatens demonstration over ‘dumsor’

Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, has issued a stern warning, threatening to lead a massive demonstration against erratic power supply, locally known as ‘dumsor’.

He criticized the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) for failing to provide him with a regional breakdown of planned maintenance, which he claims is exacerbating the power supply issue.

In an interview with UTV, Simon Osei Mensah expressed his frustration, stating, “I met them (ECG and GRIDCo) and requested a regional breakdown on power distribution so that the general public can be informed. We experienced a similar situation in 2017 and we can’t go through it again. I have still not received it and if they don’t give it to me, I will embark on a demonstration.”

The Minister emphasized the need for transparency and effective communication from the utility companies, asserting that the public deserves to be informed about power distribution plans. He vowed to take action if the delay persists, indicating his readiness to lead a demonstration to address the issue.

Meanwhile, Members of the Minority in Parliament have called upon the leadership of the House to summon the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempreh, to provide an update on the government’s efforts to address the recent spate of power cuts in the country.

During the presentation of the business statement for the ensuing week on Friday, March 1, the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, expressed concerns over the adverse effects of the power cuts on households and businesses.

“Many people and businesses cannot plan their activities and their programmes, and they also sometimes have to find extra money to power their generators for their businesses, and many people do not know what is happening,” Suhuyini lamented.

He further emphasized the necessity for the energy minister to brief the House on the power situation, stating;

“They are told that there are planned and unplanned programmes and load is being shed, so the leadership of the House must make it possible for the energy minister to brief the House next week on the power situation and why fellow countrymen and women have to deal with the on and off situation. Ghanaians need to understand why they sleep in darkness.”

NAY/EK