According to a report from GhanaWeb, the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has urged the Mahama administration to adopt decisive measures to address the persistent power outages, popularly known as ‘dumsor,’ that are affecting the country.
His call comes amidst growing frustration among Ghanaians over the recurring blackouts. Afenyo-Markin criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government for the return of power outages just three months into its tenure.
Speaking during parliamentary proceedings on March 14, 2025, Afenyo-Markin expressed disappointment that the government has not prioritized resolving the electricity crisis.
“We are barely three months into office under this new administration, and we don’t expect dumsor to return,” he said.
Referring to the recent dismissal of Dr. Akuffo Dampare as the Inspector General of Police, he urged the administration to apply the same level of urgency and commitment to addressing the country’s power challenges.
He noted that the announcement of Dampare’s removal and the appointment of COP Yohuno as his replacement had been executed swiftly, but the same urgency was absent in tackling the energy crisis.
Afenyo-Markin expressed concern that the government’s official communication on the IGP’s dismissal failed to acknowledge his contributions, instead focusing solely on the replacement process.
Highlighting the ongoing power outages across various regions, Afenyo-Markin underscored the severe impact on daily life and economic activities.
He pointed out that the blackouts were disrupting homes, halting students’ studies, and threatening the survival of businesses.
To address these issues, he called on the Minister of Energy to present a detailed report on the load-shedding schedule to Parliament.
This, he argued, would help citizens plan their daily activities and mitigate the challenges caused by the outages.
Citing recent reports, Afenyo-Markin noted that scheduled outages had been announced for areas including Ashanti, Volta, Greater Accra, and Tema on March 11 and 12, while unscheduled blackouts lasting up to 24 hours had also been reported.
He emphasized that the situation was creating hardships for Ghanaians and urged the government to take the matter seriously.
Afenyo-Markin stressed the need for immediate action to mitigate the effects of the power crisis and restore stability to the energy sector.