Mahama vows to end dumsor, unveils energy crisis solutions

President John Dramani Mahama has pledged his administration’s unwavering commitment to addressing Ghana’s energy crisis and preventing a resurgence of “dumsor,” the erratic power outages that have previously disrupted the nation.

He spoke at the National Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Ghana on January 9.

President Mahama acknowledged the pressing energy challenges facing the country but assured Ghanaians that his government is prepared to provide sustainable solutions.

“We are assuming office at a critical time in our nation’s history. Ghana is faced with significant challenges. But that is exactly the reason why you elected us"

"We will transparently let you understand what those challenges are, and we will take responsibility for solving them,” he stated.

The President outlined the immediate threat posed by insufficient fuel supplies for power generation, which could result in outages.

However, he urged citizens to remain hopeful, emphasizing his administration’s determination to resolve the issue.

“There is a threat of power outages, but my brothers and sisters, don’t despair. You elected us to solve the problems, not to put the blame on anybody else,” he affirmed.

To address the looming crisis, President Mahama disclosed that on January 8, he convened a stakeholders’ meeting to develop innovative strategies for stabilizing the energy supply.

“I can assure you of some of the ideas they have come up with. We will make sure that your lights stay on and that we do not have dumsor,” he added.

The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has estimated that approximately $90 million is needed to purchase alternative fuel to sustain power generation during the upcoming maintenance shutdown of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) scheduled from January 20 to February 16, 2025.

President Mahama emphasized that resolving the energy challenges requires urgent and collaborative efforts, reiterating his administration’s readiness to lead the way in stabilizing the country’s power supply.

“We are committed to making dumsor a thing of the past,” he concluded, urging all stakeholders to join hands in achieving energy stability for Ghana.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith