NPP Organiser Hopeful Blames Power Crisis on Fuel Shortages, Infrastructure Challenges

An aspiring National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Ali Maiga, has pushed back against claims of persistent “dumsor” during the party’s time in government, while attributing Ghana’s current power challenges to fuel shortages and operational inefficiencies.

Speaking on the issue at Kessben TV’s PUNCH, Maiga stated that there was no sustained power crisis when the Nana Akufo-Addo administration assumed office in 2017, adding that the situation remained largely stable until recent developments.

“We in the NPP cannot deny there were challenges, but it was not the kind of dumsor people are experiencing now,” he said, explaining that earlier outages were largely due to ageing cables and transmission lines, which required upgrades.

He noted that the NPP government invested in infrastructure such as the Pokuase Bulk Supply Point to improve electricity distribution and ensure a more stable power supply nationwide.

Maiga further urged the current administration, led by John Dramani Mahama, to be transparent with Ghanaians about the true state of the power sector.

According to him, the ongoing outages are not primarily due to transformer faults or maintenance at substations, as has been suggested in some quarters. Instead, he alleged that deeper systemic issues are at play.

“The current power crisis is not about changing transformers. Ghanaians deserve to know why power goes off overnight,” he questioned.

He claimed that the situation began worsening last year in Kumasi and parts of the Volta Region, adding that many power generation plants are currently operating below 50 percent capacity due to lack of fuel.

Maiga also alleged that a key state energy entity is struggling with a debt of about GH¢700 million, making it difficult to procure sufficient fuel to power thermal plants.

He credited the Akufo-Addo administration with adding 1,648 megawatts of power to the national grid and increasing electricity access from 84 percent to 88 percent.

“All the transformers being touted today were procured under Akufo-Addo,” he added.

He concluded by calling on leaders to acknowledge the challenges and take decisive steps to resolve them, stressing that “what Ghanaians want is reliable electricity, not excuses.”