The North Tongu Member of Parliament, Honorable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has urged President Akufo-Addo to directly address the nation through a press conference and a people’s assembly to confront the dire realities of the energy crisis.
The National Democratic Congress lawmaker in a fervent call to action criticized the ruling New Patriotic Party administration led by President Akufo-Addo’s handling of the persistent power crisis, locally known as “dumsor”.
Honorable Ablakwa reacting to the perceived widespread distress caused by the erratic power supply minced no words in his criticism, condemning the ruling government’s response as inadequate and insensitive.
He decried what he described as the administration’s perceived reliance on “deceptive, inept, and arrogant appointees”, who have failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
DUMSOR is traumatizing millions, collapsing businesses, destroying electrical equipment and causing untold agony.
Honorable Samuel Okuudzeto Ablakwa
Furthermore, the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs vehemently criticized the Minister of Energy’s suggestion that citizens should prepare their own schedules for enduring the power cuts, a proposition he deemed insulting to the populace.
Central to Honorable Ablakwa’s grievances is President Akufo-Addo’s perceived absence from direct engagement with the Ghanaian people via media interactions.
Expressing his astonishment, the North Tongu legislator highlighted the unprecedented nature of President Akufo-Addo’s prolonged avoidance of media scrutiny, labeling it as an “unhealthy development” that the Ghanaian media should not accept as the new norm.
“President Akufo-Addo is arguably the only president in the world who has not held an open media engagement to take unfiltered questions from journalists in over 4 years”
Honorable Samuel Okuudzeto Ablakwa
Drawing a sharp contrast with past administrations, the National Democratic Congress legislator asserted that no Ghanaian President has been allowed to evade accountability to the extent that President Akufo-Addo has managed, describing the situation as “absolutely despicable”.
Government Accused of Deceit Over Power Crisis
Meanwhile, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Director of IT and Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the New Patriotic Party administration of deceit and incompetence regarding the ongoing power crisis.
The former Minister of Communications under the erstwhile Mahama’s administration in a scathing rebuke directed at Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy, and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, questioned the veracity of the government’s claims regarding the nature and causes of the power outages.
Describing the ongoing power crisis as “power diabetes”, insinuating that despite purported abundant power generation, homes and businesses are still grappling with crippling electricity shortages.
Dr. Boamah minced no words in his condemnation of what he described as the deceitful and incompetent nature of President Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia government’s handling of the ongoing power crisis.
He challenged the government’s perceived narrative of the country having excess energy capacity, citing statements from the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) refuting claims that transformer issues were to blame for the persistent outages.
“And if I may add should Ghanaians not be ‘whipping and slapping’ your government for lying about paying for excess power and blaming Mahama for it??? Where is the excess power?”
Dr Edward Oame Boamah
In addition, Dr. Omane Boamah criticized the ruling New Patriotic Party administration for its alleged failure to acknowledge the investments made by the previous administration led by former President John Dramani Mahama in expanding Ghana’s power generation capacity.
He specifically mentioned the Ameri thermal plant, which he accused the current government of relocating to Kumasi and renaming it without providing adequate justification for the decision.
The National Democratic Congress Director of IT and Elections concluded his critique of the ruling government by questioning the government’s assertion of having excess power capacity, and further called for detailed evidence to substantiate such claims.
He accused the government of dishonesty in attributing blame to former President John Dramani Mahama’s administration for purportedly overpaying for excess power, while failing to deliver on its promise of uninterrupted electricity supply.
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