Prolonged power outage leaves Ashaiman New York residents complaining

Some business owners and residents of Ashaiman, New York, have expressed frustration after enduring about 48 hours without electricity, following a heavy downpour on Sunday.

The rain, which started in the early hours of Sunday and lasted for several hours, caused significant disruptions with the resulting power outage, creating a major setback for businesses in the area.

Electricity was restored at about 22:00 hours on Monday.

Some residents, including business owners and workers, shared their experiences with the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

Madam Faustina Mensah, a cold store operator, said the thunderstorm and heavy rain knocked out the power supply immediately.

“I stocked up on cartons of fish and chicken early this week. The power has been out since Sunday morning. As of Monday evening, the light was still off, and my stock was defrosting.

“I am watching my capital go down the drain. My deep freezer is not strong enough to withstand long hours without power,” she said.

Mr Kwame Ofori, a provision shop owner, also expressed frustration, noting that the outage had disrupted his daily business operations.

“We understand that heavy rains can cause problems, but being without power for this long is crippling us. I usually sell between 10 and 13 bags of sachet water daily, but without electricity and no generator, I cannot chill the water or drinks enough for customers,” he said.

He added that even though his customers understood that it was not his fault, they would not buy when the drinks were not cold, leading to losses for his business.

Francis Tetteh, a barber, said the outage had deprived him of income, saying, “Sunday is usually my busiest day because people want to prepare for the new work week. I could not work on Sunday or Monday because there was no electricity. It is a total loss of income.”

He said his colleague, who used a generator, said the cost of fuel was eating into his profits.

Rachel Owusu, a new mother, complained about the heat and its effect on her baby, noting that although the weather was initially cool after the rain, the heat intensified later, raising concerns about her baby developing heat rashes.

She added that some residents in Ashaiman Aviation had their power restored earlier.

“At least ECG should communicate with us because we are the ones suffering,” she said.