The Public Relations Officer for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Ashanti West, Benjamin Obeng Antwi, has addressed the recent power outages in Kumasi, reassuring the public that it’s not due to "dumsor."

In the past few weeks, some areas in Kumasi have experienced power cuts, with some communities without electricity for more than 24 hours. But Mr. Obeng Antwi explained that the outages are linked to maintenance work being done to improve power supply in the region.

"There is no 'dumsor', we had an underground cable fault. When that happens, we have to dig the ground and bring out all the cables so we can test them. We cannot work on the cables without turning off the electricity, that is why Kumasi has been experiencing some outages,” he said.

He also mentioned that old power structures are being renovated, which has caused further outages.

“We have five bulk supply points where GRIDCO and ECG connect to get electricity. These structures are quite old, and while we’re working on them, we’re facing some outages. We’ve decided to stop burying the cables underground and will increase the wire sizes to make the power more stable,” he said.

Mr. Obeng Antwi added that the old system worked in the past, but with time, it’s necessary to upgrade. "Even with the new, larger wires, we might need to make changes again in the future," he explained.

He also took the opportunity to apologize to the people of Kumasi for the inconvenience caused by the power cuts. “On behalf of ECG, I want to apologize to the people of Ashanti Region. We know the power hasn’t been consistent since the start of the year, but this is due to a technical issue, not because we’re bringing back 'dumsor'," he said.

Finally, he urged the public to report any suspected power thefts to the police.

“We have changed a lot of fuse at Adum for a couple of weeks now. People keep breaking the locks stealing the fuse. When you see anyone around an ECG pole, please go and ask them if they work at ECG. You can identify the real ECG workers by their overall coats and reflectors. Also no ECG worker works alone, they always move in groups. When they act suspicious please report them to the police,” he added.