|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has issued a grave warning about an imminent power crisis, commonly known as “dumsor,” urging the newly inaugurated Mahama administration to take immediate action. The warning comes amid growing concerns about Ghana’s critically low fuel reserves, which could severely disrupt the country’s power supply.
John Abdulai Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, raised alarm about the situation, citing a severe fuel shortage as the primary cause of the looming crisis. Speaking on January 7, 2024, after the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama in Accra, Jinapor disclosed that Ghana’s fuel stock was dangerously low, with only five hours of supply remaining.
He criticized the outgoing administration for failing to secure adequate fuel reserves, leaving the new government in a precarious position. “It’s unacceptable that no contingency measures were put in place, leaving the incoming government to grapple with such an urgent crisis,” he said.
Adding his voice to the concerns, Nana Amoasi VII, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), painted a bleak picture of Ghana’s power sector. Speaking on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News, Nana Amoasi VII attributed the crisis to systemic inefficiencies and poor planning, stressing the urgent need for reforms to prevent prolonged power outages.
“It is not something that we were not expecting,” he stated. “Being watchers of the space, we knew very well that we had a very fragile power sector stemming from systemic inefficiencies, including poor planning.”
He also highlighted Ghana’s heavy reliance on natural gas and the absence of adequate liquid fuel reserves as key vulnerabilities. “Today, we are more reliant on natural gas, but thank God almost all the plants that we have in Ghana, excluding the hydro ones and the solar, can run on liquid fuel as well. But we knew that we don’t have any backup or stock of liquid fuel in adequate form, so we knew that at a certain point in time, we could be exposed,” he explained.
Nana Amoasi VII expressed disappointment over the lack of arrangements during the transition period to ensure a seamless power supply. “Unfortunately, we were expecting that as part of the transition arrangement, some form of procurement or lifting would have been made to ensure that there is no gap left within the space. But our checks indicate that we don’t have enough liquid fuel to give us that reliance and assurance that we won’t have any shock in power supply,” he lamented.
He appealed to the Mahama administration to act swiftly, warning of dire consequences if immediate measures are not taken. “So we will appeal to the men in charge today to get back to work and start work as soon as possible. Either than that, we are largely exposed,” he cautioned.
The IES and other stakeholders have called for decisive action to stabilize the country’s power supply and prevent a return to the dark days of dumsor.
Email Daily Mail GH: stories@dailymailgh.com or
Whatsapp: +233(0)509928122
