Ghana will no longer be held back by energy shortages of the past – Akufo-Addo assures
President Akufo-Addo has expressed confidence in resolving Ghana’s intermittent power supply challenges, commonly referred to as “dumsor.”
Speaking at the commissioning of a 515-megawatt power plant under the $1.2 billion Ghana Bridge Power Project at Kpone near Tema on Tuesday, November 19, the President assured Ghanaians that past power crises would not recur.
The project, owned by US-based Endeavor Energy, will supply power to the Electricity Company of Ghana under a 25-year agreement.
Reflecting on the country’s energy challenges between 2012 and 2016 during the presidency of John Mahama, President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the hardships caused by power outages and emphasized his administration’s commitment to ensuring a stable energy supply.
He affirmed that his government’s investments over the last eight years have fortified Ghana’s energy infrastructure to prevent a recurrence of such disruptions.
“Without a dependable source of electricity, industries cannot thrive, schools cannot prepare the leaders of tomorrow, and healthcare facilities cannot deliver the care citizens deserve.
“All of us remember the unfortunate, difficult periods of dumsor between 2012 and 2016 under the presidency of the perennial NDC presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama, when systematic power outages disrupted lives and livelihoods across the nation.
“Those challenging times tested our resilience and our resolve as a people. Today, as we stand together to inaugurate the Bridge Power station, we send a clear message to everyone, every Ghanaian that Ghana will no longer be held back by the energy shortages of the past,” he stated.
He added, “Ghana is rising above the challenges and creating a future in which our energy supply supports our ambition not limiting them. We are overcoming the barriers that once stood in our way.”
President Akufo-Addo also assured of addressing the financial arrears owed the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to ensure a resilient economy through efficient power supply.