Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson has notified the Ghana Police Service of an upcoming protest against the erratic electricity supply in the country. In a statement released on May 9, Nelson announced her intention to hold a vigil on May 25 to address the frustrating power supply situation.
The letter, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, provided details of the planned vigil, which will take place at Revolution Square from 8:30 am to 12 midnight. The event aims to bring attention to the debilitating effects of the unacceptable power supply situation and provide evidence of its impact on the daily activities of the president.
Nelson has been vocal about her frustration with the recent erratic power cuts, and this call to action comes after she invited Ghanaians to join her in a massive campaign against the issue. Her tweet sparked a wave of support, with many Ghanaians expressing their own frustration with the power supply situation.
This is not the first time Nelson has taken a stand against power outages. In 2015, she and other celebrities organized similar protests dubbed #DumsorMustStop to express their displeasure with consistent power outages. The upcoming vigil is a continuation of her efforts to bring attention to this critical issue.
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The vigil on May 25 is an opportunity for Ghanaians to come together and demand better from their leaders. The erratic electricity supply has caused significant hardship for many.
Yvonne Nelson hopes for a similar turnout this time and seeks the support of the general public for the imminent protest against ‘dumsor.’
IMANI’s invitation
In her post on X on Monday, April 22, Yvonne Nelson expressed her readiness to partner with policy think tank IMANI Ghana for the vigil, citing the organization’s involvement in the 2015 edition.
However, Franklin Cudjoe, Chief Executive Officer of IMANI, responded sharply, stating that the organization will select partners for their protest, and Nelson is free to organise her demonstration.
“We have heard the call by the redoubtable Ms Yvonne Nelson for round two of #dumsormuststop. Fair call even as we (IMANI) have maintained our criticism of the government’s bad decisions for what often seems like a rudderless leadership, the latest dumsor episodes being the zenith. So as you can see ( T-shirts), we are preparing and we will make the call and choose how we demonstrate and who we want to partner at the right time,” he said.
“Meanwhile, others can also organise their own unique protests in churches, mosques, bars, schools and homes,” he added.
In a related development, Vice President of IMANI, Bright Simons also took a jab at the actress. He called her out for only wanting to partner with them when it favours her.
Mr Simons said IMANI has been chasing ECG and pursuing other energy-related matters but they have “never seen Ms Nelson amplify any of that work. Ever. Not even a retweet,” he said. “Now, why is that?”
