In a strongly-worded address to the media on Monday, Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, challenged the Mahama-led government to take immediate and decisive action to end the ongoing power crisis, popularly known as “dumsor.”

Speaking at the Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Energy Committee press conference, Annoh-Dompreh criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration for what he described as a failure to live up to its governing responsibilities, especially in ensuring consistent electricity supply.

He blamed the erratic power situation on the government’s inability to fulfill its financial obligations to Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

According to him, key IPPs like Karpowership Ghana have publicly raised concerns over government indebtedness exceeding GHS 400 million.

He argued that such debt hampers the operational efficiency of these power suppliers, contributing to frequent blackouts that have plagued homes and businesses in recent months.

“We are now approaching six months of power instability,” Annoh-Dompreh said.

“Within just a month of this government assuming power, the lights started going off. This cannot be blamed on the past administration anymore.”

He rejected excuses offered by the government that state agencies such as Ghana Water Company Limited have defaulted on payments to the sector.

“That is not the concern of the ordinary citizen,” he stated. “If Ghana Water has not paid its debts, what can the average citizen do about that? The government must fix the problem.”

The Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP also took aim at the Finance Minister, accusing him of starving the power sector of critical financial support.

“The Finance Minister is not releasing the necessary oxygen to keep the sector alive,” he said.

“And instead of resolving the crisis, they keep telling us what the problems are, without providing solutions.”

Annoh-Dompreh contrasted the current situation with the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration's record, claiming that the NPP implemented swift measures to ensure power stability.

“When we were in power, we kept the lights on. We managed the situation. What has changed now? Why is that there no commitment to do the same?”

He also expressed frustration over the government's alleged withholding of statutory payments despite collecting taxes.

“You collect taxes, and yet independent power producers go unpaid. What’s the point of revenue mobilization if it doesn't support critical sectors like energy?” he queried.

The Minority Caucus plans to hold further briefings in the coming days, including on alleged delays in statutory payments by the current administration.

Annoh-Dompreh ended his remarks with a sharp rebuke to the government: “Stop pressing the wrong buttons and fix the problem. This is not about political games."

"The NDC government must show leadership by paying the debts owed to IPPs. Ghanaians deserve light—not excuses,” he insisted.

Background

Ghana has faced recurrent power crises over the past decade, with the term "dumsor" becoming a common part of national discourse.

The most severe phase occurred during President Mahama's previous administration, between 2012 and 2016, when prolonged outages significantly affected the economy.

Although some stability returned in the years that followed, recent months under Mahama’s new government have seen a resurgence of the crisis, sparking public outrage and political finger-pointing.