The Deputy National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ako Gunn, has strongly rejected assertions from the opposition that recent intermittent power outages across parts of the country signal a return of the dreaded “dumsor” era, insisting instead that the situation is the result of planned and necessary infrastructure upgrades.
His comments were made during a live phone-in interview on Ahotor 92.3 FM’s popular morning programme, Adekyee Mu Nsem, hosted by broadcaster Citizen Kofi Owusu, where he engaged in a detailed exchange on the state of Ghana’s energy sector and the political debate surrounding it.
Opposition claims and political tension
The discussion follows renewed concerns raised by the minority in Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who have recently pointed to periodic power interruptions as evidence that the country may be sliding back into the prolonged electricity challenges that characterized previous years.
According to the opposition, these disruptions contradict assurances from government officials who have consistently maintained that the energy sector is stable and that no systemic load shedding programme is currently in place.
However, Mr. Gunn dismissed these claims as politically motivated and inconsistent with earlier statements made by the same group during the 2024 election campaign.
“Contradictions in opposition narrative ”
He reminded listeners that during the campaign period, the NPP repeatedly warned that a victory for the National Democratic Congress would inevitably lead to a resurgence of dumsor. Yet, he argued, more than a year into the current administration led by President John Dramani Mahama, Ghana has not experienced the prolonged nationwide outages associated with that period.
“Those who predicted doom are now the same voices describing maintenance-related outages as dumsor,” he noted. “The facts on the ground simply do not support that claim.”
Energy sector stability and economic resilience
Mr. Gunn further highlighted what he described as significant improvements in Ghana’s macroeconomic and energy stability, crediting government management for maintaining steady fuel imports, uninterrupted gas supply, and operational power generation infrastructure.
He added that even in the face of global geopolitical tensions — including disruptions linked to the Iran–United States situation — Ghana’s energy supply chain has remained largely unaffected.
“Our fuel is available, our gas supply is stable, and our generation plants are functioning without major breakdowns,” he said. “This level of stability does not reflect a country experiencing systemic dumsor.”
He also suggested that the opposition’s continued insistence on a crisis narrative reflects political frustration rather than technical reality, describing their approach as a search for faults where none exist.
Maintenance works and infrastructure upgrades
Addressing the cause of recent outages, Mr. Gunn explained that the disruptions are tied to a nationwide programme aimed at replacing aging transformers and upgrading transmission infrastructure.
According to him, many of the current systems in operation have been under significant strain for years, and the ongoing interventions are designed to reduce overloads, improve efficiency, and strengthen long-term distribution capacity.
“These interruptions are part of a deliberate and structured maintenance exercise,” he explained. “Old transformers are being replaced, and transmission systems are being upgraded to improve reliability.”
He emphasized that such work inevitably requires temporary shutdowns in specific areas but insisted that these should not be misconstrued as load shedding or systemic failure.
Defining the difference between maintenance and “dumsor ”
Mr. Gunn was emphatic in distinguishing the current situation from the severe power crises of the past, stating that true dumsor is characterized by prolonged, unpredictable outages driven by fuel shortages, financial constraints, or generation deficits.
“If this were dumsor, we would be pointing to clear causes such as inability to purchase fuel or unpaid debts to energy producers,” he said. “None of these conditions exist at present.”
Outlook and government position
While acknowledging that Ghana is still progressing toward full energy self-sufficiency, Mr. Gunn maintained that the country has moved beyond crisis management and is now focused on consolidation and system strengthening.
He stressed that the current phase should be understood as transitional, with short-term inconveniences expected as part of broader efforts to modernize infrastructure.
“What we are experiencing is not a collapse of the system, but its improvement,” he said. “The goal is to ensure long-term stability and efficiency in power distribution for all Ghanaians.”
He concluded by urging the public to critically assess political claims and focus on the broader trajectory of reforms underway in the energy sector, reiterating that the government remains committed to delivering stable and reliable electricity supply nationwide.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe/Ahotoronline.com
