Current power crisis not as bad as Mahama-era 'dumsor' - Prof. Stephen Adei

Professor Stephen Adei, a former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has stated that the current power crisis plaguing the nation is not as bad as the previous one experienced under former president John Dramani Mahama’s administration.

According to him, there is a looming risk of escalation if the current outrages are not effectively addressed.

“It is quite unfortunate… let us be very careful, it is not as bad as the dumsor days but if we don't (take charge) it can only get worse,” he said in an interview on TV3 on April 23, 2024.

Providing insights into potential solutions, Professor Adei emphasized the need to address existing bottlenecks hindering the optimal utilization of available capacity.

He advocated for a national strategic agenda, suggesting immediate duty-free importation of solar panels to facilitate a shift towards solar energy.

He stressed the importance of enhancing the efficiency of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for long-term sustainability.

“So, the first thing is that to look at, if there are bottlenecks which are not allowing us to use the existing capacity to the fullest, must be addressed. But in the long run, we must have a national strategic agenda.

“You can go solar, immediately the government should allow all solar panels and anything to do with it import-free because in the end the country and the government will win.

“We must have a strategy to make sure that we have a long-term solution and the efficiency of the ECG has to improve,” he added.

The ‘dumsor’ palava

As far back as late 2023, Ghanaians in many parts of the country began experiencing incessant power cuts without warning.

These outages, which worsened in 2024, caused disruptions to businesses and the daily activities of citizens.

This has led to some citizens concluding that ‘dumsor’ is back. The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has ruled that ECG is shedding load and has demanded a timetable. ECG has rejected the ruling and the fine that came with it.

However, many government officials have claimed the outages are not a result of ‘dumsor’. They also insist that there was no need for a timetable.

The problem was further worsened when the Minister for Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, challenged those calling for a timetable to come up with one themselves.

Dumsor Politics and Election 2024: The power crisis is not as bad as the Dumsor days. Prof. Stephen Adei, Educationist/Economist#GhanaTonight pic.twitter.com/3DoCCtFN2F

— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) April 23, 2024