Samuel Atta Akyea, the Chairman of Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, has revealed that productive discussions have been held with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) concerning the persistent power outages, commonly referred to as “dumsor.”
During the discussions, the committee addressed the pressing need for measures to alleviate the ongoing power challenges. Atta Akyea, also the MP for Abuakwa South, disclosed that ECG has acknowledged a shortfall in power generation, attributing it to the frequent outages experienced nationwide.
Following a meeting with stakeholders in the power industry on Sunday, April 7, Atta Akyea spoke to the press, highlighting the committee’s efforts in ensuring ECG provides a comprehensive load-shedding timetable to the public.
He stressed the importance of this timetable in enabling citizens to plan their activities effectively amidst the power disruptions.
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“We will ensure that ECG releases the timetable,” Atta Akyea assured Ghanaians, emphasizing the committee’s commitment to closely monitoring the situation. He pledged to oversee the timely release of the schedule, thereby facilitating better planning for citizens across the country.
Acknowledging the technical challenges, particularly related to fuel shortages, Atta Akyea stressed the importance of addressing these issues promptly to mitigate the impact of under-generation. He urged all stakeholders to collaborate in ensuring sufficient power generation to meet the nation’s needs.
“The conversations we’ve had so far are very good, some of the technical challenges relating to fuel and the rest of it may be tackled. If there’s under-generation, which there has been an admission, then we should do everything in our power to make sure that we generate enough power,” Atta Akyea remarked, expressing optimism in resolving the underlying issues contributing to the power crisis.
“I think the Committee was very strong on the matter that if there are power outages, those who are enjoying should know when it’ll be available, and then they plan their lives around the timetable they’ll furnish them with.”
“They are going to do it and we’ll do everything in our power to monitor them,” he told the press.
After weeks of escalating power outages, calls for transparency and improved management of the energy crisis have culminated in this decisive decision.
Previously, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy, expressed frustration with those advocating for a schedule, suggesting that they create and publish their own if they felt inclined to do so.
The Public Utility Regulatory commission (PURC) cited a decline in the quality-of-service delivery, including increasing power outages across ECG service areas from January 1, and ordered the ECG to produce load shedding timetable.
The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) officially lodged a complaint against the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) with the Energy Minister. The grievance stems from ECG’s failure to furnish customers with a load-shedding timetable amid the ongoing power outages.
GRIDCo revealed that the National System Control Centre (NSCC) has specifically requested ECG to provide a schedule, citing the current unavailability of the maximum grid capacity. The company further emphasized that ECG’s reluctance to comply with this request poses a significant risk to the stability of the national grid.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commanded the export of power to neighbouring countries to stop to prioritise the distribution of Ghana’s electricity.