A fiery political and moral controversy has erupted following public prayers organized by the Christian women’s fellowship group Aglow International Ghana over the country’s deepening energy crisis.

The gathering, held at the Black Star Square in Accra, has sparked harsh backlash from the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo, who lashed out at the group’s leader, Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, in a scathing social media post.

“God, please give me patience. Individuals like this woman should not be tolerated in our society. Such hypocrisy is concerning. Her behavior is shameless,” Opare-Addo posted on his personal page, without mincing words.

With the attachments of the woman's picture, his remarks came hours after the high-profile prayer session led by her, making the target of his tirade unmistakable.

Nation Praying for Power

On Saturday, hundreds of women from across Ghana, under the banner of Aglow International, converged at Independence Square to intercede for the country’s worsening power crisis—popularly known as “dumsor.”

The prayer session, widely broadcast on national television and live-streamed on social media, was led by veteran broadcaster and prominent Christian leader Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie.

The intercessors prayed for divine guidance for Ghana’s Energy and Finance Ministers, as the country faces a possible return to widespread power outages due to an urgent fuel crisis.

“We ask God to give them divine wisdom, deep insight, and understanding that goes beyond human capability to solve this crisis,” one prayer leader declared.

They also prayed for unity and clarity over the controversial proposal to partially privatize the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), a move that has divided stakeholders and drawn concern from labour unions and civil society.

Looming National Crisis

The energy situation has taken a dramatic downturn in recent weeks. Energy Minister John Jinapor recently informed Parliament that the country’s thermal plants had only 2.6 days’ worth of fuel reserves remaining and that an emergency GH₵1.1 billion was needed from the Ministry of Finance to avert a blackout.

While some emergency fuel had been secured on credit, the Energy Ministry warned that ongoing supply depended heavily on prompt payments—something the government was struggling to guarantee.

Compounding the crisis is a monthly GH₵2 billion revenue shortfall in the electricity sector.

This deficit is driven by widespread non-payment of utility bills, including by public institutions.

Notably, Ghana Water Limited reportedly owes ECG over GH₵1 billion and has not paid for electricity in over seven months.

John Jinapor described the financial situation as “unsustainable” and indicated that Cabinet is now considering strict measures to compel public institutions to pay their arrears.

Political Firestorm

Opare-Addo’s public rebuke of the Aglow leader has drawn mixed reactions. Some supporters see his frustration as justified, accusing groups like Aglow of ignoring systemic mismanagement during previous administration and only raising concerns now that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is back in power.

Others, however, have criticized the minister’s remarks as misogynistic and disrespectful, especially given Afenyi-Dadzie’s decades-long role as a civil society leader and her constitutional right to religious expression.

Many have also questioned why a peaceful, prayer-based intervention should provoke such an aggressive response.

This isn’t the first time Ghanaian politicians have clashed with religious groups over socio-political matters.

But the intensity of Opare-Addo’s reaction—and the personal nature of his attack—has reignited debates about the role of faith-based activism in a fragile democracy and the tone of public discourse by government officials.

Looking Ahead

Whether the power crisis is resolved through fiscal rescue or divine intervention, one thing is clear: the stakes are high, and public patience is running low—even among the nation's leaders.