'I can hear people's children crying from nearby homes' - Anger online as calls for 'dumsor' timetable intensifies

Several online users have flooded social media, angry and demanding that the government of the day respects their urgent pleas for a timetable on the unabated power cuts being experienced in the country.

The erratic power supply, commonly known as ‘dumsor,’ has been on for many months now but the government, through the power distributor, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has denied any such re-emergence of the situation in the country.

In a statement issued recently, the ECG stated that it had resolved the issues and that there is no case of ‘dumsor,’ adding that “Any customer who is currently experiencing power outage is due to a localized fault.”

But the situation has persisted in a lot of places since that ECG statement of March 29, 2024, was issued.

In the most recent outrage online, many users flooded social media platforms between the night of Saturday, April 20, 2024, and the morning of Sunday, to share especially stories of how devastating and harrowing it has been for them to watch their young children deal with the heat at night when the lights go out unannounced.

Umaru Sanda Amadu, a multimedia journalist at Citi FM and Citi TV, for instance, tweeted, “I can hear people's children crying from nearby homes. Mine are sweating but not crying yet. They're sweating because the power is off again, and the government officials we pay to fix it can't be bothered! Sad State. #Dumsor is here, but they don't care.”

Another user, @niilexis, described how some of his neighbours had to eventually turn on their cars to allow their newborns to enjoy some air-conditioning.

“Two neighbours had to put their cars on so their newly-born babies could escape the heat and have some relief to sleep. It’s 2024, this shouldn’t be how we live our lives,” he tweeted.

A young lady who said she nearly lost her job because of this situation, wrote, “I nearly cried yesterday. Light off from 7am to 6pm, came back for only 15mins. Yes 15mins, and off again till this morning. All gadgets went off, missed meetings, no calls. Nearly lost my job.”

Gary Al-Smith of the Multimedia Group had this to also say:

“Heartbreaking to see dumsor back with this kind of vengeance. For those of us with little kids, it's a chastening experience that should not be suffered.”

A mother, @OyooQuartey, shared a photo of how she cared for her daughter in the heat, with the caption:

"This was us two nights ago in this dumsor. I made a cold compress to cool her down in the intolerable heat. 1am to 2am before I slept in the couch by the open window. I almost wept with exhaustion. Isn't there any protest coming up?"

See some of the other comments below:

This was us two nights ago in this dumsor. I made a cold compress to cool her down in the intolerable heat. 1am to 2am before I slept in the couch by the open window. I almost wept with exhaustion. ????

Isn't there any protest coming up? pic.twitter.com/kKmWlOB4Yk

— Naa (@OyooQuartey) April 20, 2024

Heartbreaking to see dumsor back with this kind of vengeance. For those of us with little kids, it's a chastening experience that should not be suffered.

What's your experience been like?

— Gary Al-Smith (@garyalsmith) April 20, 2024

I can hear people's children crying from nearby homes. Mine are sweating but not crying yet. They're sweating ???? because the power is off again, and the government officials we pay to fix it can't be bothered! Sad State. #Dumsor is here, but they don't care

— Cowboy Journalist (@UmaruSanda) April 20, 2024

Two neighbours had to put their cars on so their newly-born babies could escape the heat and have some relief to sleep. It’s 2024, this shouldn’t be how we live our lives.

— Aamil (@niilexis) April 21, 2024

I nearly cried yesterday. Light off from 7am to 6pm, came back for only 15mins. Yes 15mins, and off again till this morning.

All gadgets went off, missed meetings, no calls. Nearly lost my job..

— Mr. (@phathers1) April 20, 2024

Charley my 6 weeks old baby boy went through it last night. The agony on his face last nite u could tell he was asking himself " Me koraa, Me ba aha, b3 y3 d3n koraaa". The heat Rashes on my wife, and Napo will come and speak from his ANUS!! Getting a Gen Set ASAP!!

— Bobby AxleRod???? (@DariusKincaidXX) April 20, 2024

My 5 months old baby is having a very tough time, Gary. Heat rashes all over her body... so frustrating for her mum, she will just not sleep when the lights go off

— Emmanuel Jorbor (@jorbor_emmanuel) April 20, 2024

Yestee dawn, sake of dumsor I open windows all, so as the thief dey do rounds, he look through the window, I de sit bed top naked, He see me, he say “Ei senior, sɛ nea wo nnaa yɛ no deɛ, agye sɛ next time, Nana aseɛ ɔman no”. Wey he say make i give am ice water. #dearauntiebetty

— kweku odame (@lordtee) April 21, 2024

Any #DumsorMustStop demo in the works? Because I will proudly join that.

Or you people say unless I organize it myself?

— Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo (@Fentuo_) April 20, 2024

ECG, my lights have been off since morning. It's past 6pm, and they are still not back. Are you waiting for the 2nd coming of Christ before you bring back my lights? Hoh!!!????

— B.You by Berla Mundi (@berlamundi) April 20, 2024

My wife sent me pictures of my 7month old daughter. Heat rushes everywhere. She has to stay up all night and fan her because my daughter sweats a lot, even normal days. And she will have to go to work the next day. Why won't this government respect citizens and release a schedule https://t.co/tLwCxKYIgy

— KojoWills (@wills_kojo) April 20, 2024

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AE