10 communities without power after electrification project stalls for 10 years

Residents of 10 communities in the Atwima Mponua District in the Ashanti Region have voiced their frustration after an electrification project that has stalled for more than a decade missed another completion deadline.

A report by myjoyonline.com on June 1, 2026, indicated that the affected communities, including Bedabour and Mansaso, were featured in the "Dark Village" documentary, which highlighted how years without electricity have forced many young people to abandon their communities in search of opportunities elsewhere.

The project, awarded in 2013 and later contracted to Possible Power Limited in 2015, remains incomplete despite assurances that it would be finished by the end of April 2026.

“With the way the contractor is progressing with the project, I can assure you the electrification project will be completed by the end of April,” Atwima Mponua DCE Ibrahim Issahak said.

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However, a follow-up visit by journalists in late May found that work had stalled again, with the contractor reportedly leaving the site before Easter.

The setback has deepened frustration among residents who say years of promises have yielded little progress.

“We acknowledge that this government has helped connect our communities to the national grid, but it needs to expedite work to finish the project. The contractor was installing poles and transformers, but left before Easter and hasn’t returned since,” Bedabour chief Nana Akwesi Yaboah decried.

For many residents, the continued absence of electricity is affecting daily life, education and economic activity.

“I haven’t drunk cold water before because I have no fridge in my house to cool my water. My daughter also cannot study at night because we have no proper flashlight to aid her learning,” Assembly Member Isaac Asamoah lamented.

In Mansaso, residents say the lack of electricity is driving young people away from the community.

“All the youth here are leaving to seek greener pastures in nearby villages with light. We are losing our generation who could protect our lands for us,” resident Maame Adwoa Achiaa said.

Responding to concerns, Chief Executive Officer of Possible Power Limited, Kwaku Duah, insisted the project has not been abandoned and blamed delays on the late release of specialised materials.

“The awaited materials have arrived. The Ministry is now processing them. We’re set to receive them and get back on site to finish the project and connect the affected areas to the grid,” he said.

Duah also attributed part of the delay to the theft of project materials over the years.

Despite the assurances, residents say their patience is running out and are demanding urgent action to complete the project and finally connect their communities to the national grid.

NAD/VPO

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