The newly sworn-in administration of President John Mahama has established a 12-member committee to tackle an impending power crisis that threatens to destabilize Ghana’s energy supply.
The move comes amid revelations that the country has dangerously low reserves of fuel for power generation, which exacerbates the power crisis.
The Chair of the committee, John Abdulai Jinapor, disclosed that the outgoing New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration left the energy sector with only five hours’ worth of fuel stock, creating a precarious situation for maintaining a stable electricity supply during the power crisis.
The Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration, however, maintains that it left the energy sector on a solid foundation, ensuring Ghanaians would not experience a return to dumsor—the chronic power outages that plagued the country in the past.
Acting Presidential Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu announced that the taskforce will address both financial and technical challenges associated with the energy sector as part of their efforts to solve the power crisis. The committee is expected to deliver a comprehensive roadmap outlining strategies to stabilize power supply while mitigating the risks posed by the critical fuel shortage.
The revelations come at a time when the energy sector faces mounting pressures, with stakeholders warning that immediate action is needed to prevent widespread disruptions due to the power crisis. The newly established committee’s work will be pivotal in ensuring Ghana’s energy stability during this transitional period. Industry experts have emphasized the urgency of addressing these issues, highlighting the need for both short-term and long-term solutions to bolster the sector.
A failure to resolve the looming crisis could have far-reaching economic consequences, undermining confidence in the energy sector and hindering industrial and commercial activities. The Mahama government is under significant pressure to act swiftly and decisively to avert these risks and secure the country’s power infrastructure amidst the power crisis.
