By Leo Nelson
Ghana’s deepening power crisis, dumsor, has triggered a major shake-up in the leadership of key institutions in the energy sector, as the government moves to restore stability and accountability.
In an unexpected turn of events of Sunday, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has directed the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Grid Company to step aside pending investigations into a fire outbreak at the Akosombo power control centre, an incident believed to have worsened the country’s ongoing “dumsor” challenges.
The decision to ask the GRIDCo CEO to step aside, to many, signals the seriousness with which the government is treating the incident.
GRIDCo, which is responsible for transmitting electricity across the country, plays a critical role in ensuring stable power supply. Any disruption at its control centres can have immediate and widespread consequences.
At the same time, a significant leadership reshuffle has taken place within the Electricity Company of Ghana, particularly in the Ashanti Region.
While details of the changes remain limited, per the announcement by the Minister for Government Communications, the move is widely seen as part of broader efforts to address inefficiencies in power distribution, one of the key pressure points in Ghana’s electricity value chain.
The twin actions, at both GRIDCo and ECG, on Sunday, underscore the growing urgency within government to confront the persistent power outages affecting households and businesses.
Dumsor, once thought to be a thing of the past, has resurfaced with increasing frequency, disrupting economic activity and public confidence.
In what is expected to provide further clarity, John Jinapor is scheduled to address the nation at 2 p.m. tomorrow on recent developments in electricity distribution.
The briefing is anticipated to outline measures such as the government’s response strategy and efforts to stabilise power supply.
For now, concerned and frustrated Ghanaians will have to wait till tomorrow to know what is in stock for them.