Fix power cuts now to protect BECE, WASSCE candidates – Sammi Awuku tells Mahama

The Member of Parliament for Akuapim North, Sammi Awuku, has called on President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Energy and Green Transition to urgently address the recurring power supply challenges, warning that the situation is affecting students preparing for critical national examinations. His intervention adds to growing public concern over intermittent electricity supply across the country.

In a Facebook post on Monday, April 27, the MP expressed concern over the intermittent electricity supply, which he said is disrupting learning and creating anxiety among students sitting for the WASSCE and those preparing for the BECE. The timing of the outages has raised particular concern among educators and parents due to their impact on revision schedules.

“We’re all experiencing it again, this on-and-off power situation and honestly, it’s becoming quite worrying,” he wrote. His comments reflect a broader national frustration over recurring power instability.

According to him, the unstable power supply is undermining students’ ability to concentrate on revision, especially during a period he described as “a very critical period” in their academic journey. He stressed that while examinations would proceed regardless of circumstances, learners needed a stable environment to prepare effectively. Education experts have similarly warned that inconsistent electricity supply can negatively affect performance outcomes.

“At the very least, let’s ensure our students are given a fair and stable environment to prepare for and write their exams,” he stated, adding a direct appeal to the government: “Please ACT Now!”

Mr Awuku further noted that beyond students, businesses, young entrepreneurs, and small-scale workers are also feeling the impact of the fluctuating power supply, describing the frustration among the public as “real” and increasingly widespread. Many small businesses rely heavily on electricity for production, refrigeration, and digital operations, making them particularly vulnerable.

His comments come at a time when parts of the country have been experiencing intermittent electricity supply challenges, commonly referred to in previous years as “dumsor”. Such disruptions have historically affected households, commerce, and academic activities, raising public concern whenever they re-emerge.

Education stakeholders and parents have also repeatedly warned that unstable electricity during examination periods places additional pressure on candidates, many of whom rely on evening study hours for revision. The situation has sparked renewed debate about energy reliability and infrastructure investment.

The MP’s appeal adds to growing calls for a swift and sustainable resolution to the power situation, particularly as thousands of students across the country prepare for major national examinations in the coming weeks. Analysts say resolving the issue will require both short-term stabilisation measures and long-term improvements in generation and distribution capacity.