President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling Ghana’s energy issues and preventing a recurrence of the intermittent power outages commonly referred to as Dumsor.
During his address at the National Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Ghana on Thursday, January 9, President Mahama recognized the urgent challenges facing the energy sector and assured the public that his government is diligently working to stabilize the situation.
He encouraged citizens to maintain their optimism, highlighting that proactive strategies are being put in place to prevent potential power shortages and to guarantee a consistent electricity supply.
The President’s comments come in response to growing concerns regarding fuel shortages for thermal plants and the delayed maintenance of pipelines by the West African Gas Pipeline Company, which experts caution could worsen the energy crisis if not promptly resolved.
“We are assuming office at a critical time in our nation’s history. Ghana is faced with significant challenges. But that is exactly the reason why you elected us. We will transparently let you understand what those challenges are and we will take responsibility for solving them.
“There is a threat of power outages but my brothers and sisters, don’t despair. You elected us to solve the problems not to put the blame on anybody else. I can assure you of some of the ideas they have come up with. We will make sure that your lights stay on.”
The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo), on January 9, agreed to postpone its planned pipeline maintenance by two weeks, averting an imminent power crisis in Ghana.
This decision comes after intense negotiations led by a technical committee established by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah to tackle the looming energy challenge.
The maintenance, initially scheduled to commence this week, was flagged by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) as a significant threat to the country’s electricity supply.
GRIDCo warned that ongoing fuel shortages for thermal plants, combined with the disruption in gas supply from the pipeline, would severely cripple Ghana’s power generation capacity.
Mahama’s ‘tot-tot’ appointments unacceptable – Afenyo-Markin
