Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Ellembele, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has declared that Ghana is currently facing challenges with load shedding.

As a former Minister of Energy and Petroleum, he pointed to recent instances of power outages as clear indications that the era of rolling blackouts, commonly referred to as dumsor, has made a return.

Additionally, he highlighted reports detailing the growing financial strain on state entities within the power production and transmission system, further exacerbating the situation.

"Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is currently unable to fulfil its payment obligations to the West African Gas Pipeline, which is responsible for transporting gas from Takoradi to Tema for power generation.

"You can also track the ultimate problem to the weakest link in the value chain—ECG's inability to pay off-takers," he added.

He urged the government to be transparent about the situation, calling on the Ghana Grid Company to establish a timetable for the current dumsor and provide businesses and households with the means to plan more effectively.

The hashtag #DumsorIsBack has gained traction on Ghana's social media platforms, with both the president and vice president facing harsh criticism for the prevailing circumstances.

Surprisingly, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), responsible for power distribution, has yet to address the allegations regarding the return of dumsor.

Read the MP's full post on the return of dumsor:

Ghana is currently grappling with a severe case of Load Shedding, commonly known as Dumsor.

The situation is evidently clear, with 500 MW of load being shed as of tonight, January 9th, 2024.

Numerous areas have been plunged into darkness due to the unavailability of gas to fuel thermal plants within the Tema enclave, which can be attributed to financial constraints.

Specifically, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is currently unable to fulfil its payment obligations to the West African Gas Pipeline, which is responsible for transporting gas from Takoradi to Tema for power generation. You can also track the ultimate problem to the weakest link in the value chain: -ECG’s inability to pay off-takers.

Compounding the situation is the absence of a load-shedding timetable, which hampers households and businesses from planning accordingly.

The lack of transparency and communication regarding the power outage schedule only adds to the frustration and inconvenience experienced by the affected population.

It is worth highlighting that even during the worst periods of Dumsor in the past, the power outage never reached the 500 megawatts threshold currently being shed yet the media associated with the NPP interestingly see this as no “Dumsor.”

Their loud silence on the current situation is deafening.

The Ghana Grid Company must, as a matter of urgency, come out with a load-shedding timetable to allow households and businesses to plan better.