Minority demands ‘dumsor timetable’, insists crisis goes beyond Akosombo fire incident

The Minority in Parliament has pushed back against the government’s explanation for the ongoing power outages, arguing that the situation cannot be attributed solely to the recent fire at the Akosombo Substation and calling for greater transparency in managing the crisis.

The group is demanding that the government release a clear and structured load-shedding timetable to help households and businesses better prepare for the persistent electricity disruptions. Their call comes ahead of an anticipated address by the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, as part of the Government Accountability Series.

According to reports, the fire outbreak at the Akosombo facility damaged six critical switches, removing approximately 1,000 megawatts of power from the national grid and worsening outages across parts of the Ashanti, Central, and Greater Accra regions.

However, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako Mensah, insists the crisis predates the incident. He argued that power supply had already been unstable prior to the fire, suggesting deeper systemic challenges within the energy sector.

“I’m not too sure it can entirely be attributed to what happened at Akosombo,” he stated. “Even before the fire, electricity supply was not stable.”

Mr. Adomako Mensah explained that earlier government communications had pointed to ongoing technical upgrades, including transformer works, as part of efforts to stabilise the system. In his view, the fire incident has merely intensified an already fragile situation rather than being the sole cause.

“What happened at Akosombo has exacerbated the situation and made it more precarious,” he said, noting that intermittent outages were already being experienced nationwide before the disruption.

A major concern raised by the Minority is the lack of timely and clear communication from authorities. Mr. Adomako Mensah criticised the absence of a reliable load-shedding schedule—commonly referred to as “dumsor”—which he says is essential for planning daily activities.

“The timetable will help people prepare. If you know your power will go off on a specific day, you can plan accordingly,” he explained. “Unfortunately, the current situation leaves consumers in the dark, with announcements often coming after outages have already begun.”

He emphasised that acknowledging the full scale of the problem is a critical step toward resolving it, urging the government to be candid with the public about the challenges facing the power sector.

“For me, admitting there is a problem is the first step toward solving it,” he said. “Whether we call it ‘dumsor’ or not, the reality is that people are experiencing power cuts.”

The Minority also highlighted the economic impact of the outages, noting that businesses are suffering losses due to the unpredictability of electricity supply. They described the situation as one requiring urgent and transparent crisis management measures.

In addition, concerns were raised over a recent leadership shake-up within the Electricity Company of Ghana in the Ashanti Region. While acknowledging that administrative actions such as suspensions can be appropriate during investigations, Mr. Adomako Mensah warned that the timing and surrounding commentary risk creating perceptions of political interference.

He pointed to public statements by some government communicators and party officials that appear to link the changes to partisan considerations, arguing that such narratives undermine confidence in the sector.

“To have the minister take that course feeds into the perception that decisions are being influenced politically, which is unfortunate,” he said.

He urged authorities to safeguard the independence of technical institutions within the energy sector, stressing that appointments and decisions should be based strictly on competence and professionalism rather than political affiliation.

“Let institutions function independently. If we politicise them, we will struggle to find lasting solutions to these challenges,” he concluded.