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Dumsor: Government should be truthful to Ghanaians – Della Sowah
Member of Parliament for Kpando in the Volta Region, and Deputy Ranking member of the Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament Della Sowah has charged the Nana Akufo-Addo led government to be truthful to Ghanaians on the recent power outages popularly referred to as Dumsor.
According to her, the dishonesty of government in admitting there is dumsor is causing a lot of harm to individuals and businesses.
Speaking to a section of the media, she said the admission on the part of the government would have led to a publication of a timetable to enable Ghanaians to plan their activities.
However, Della Sowah said the political propaganda by the New Patriotic Party during former President Mahama’s reign when the country encountered some challenges in the energy sector, is the reason the government is shy of admitting same.
According to her, the erstwhile Mahama administration put in place prudent and efficient policy measures to ensure Dumsor was a thing of the past with the vision of making Ghana an energy distribution hub in West Africa.
She noted that as a result, measures like 800MW of power was supplemented to the national grid, the 220MW from the Karpower barge also injected to the grid, and the Africa and Asia Middle East Resources and Investment (AMERI) emergency power plant supplying 250MW were put in place.
Della Sowah reiterated that the Mahama administration resolved all generation issues bringing total generation to 5000MW, adding that Ghana’s peak demand is about 3,200MW.
“Financial mismanagement is to blame. How can ECG under Mahama in 2016 make a profit of over 500 million Ghana cedis and in 2017 that profit was completely eroded, plunging ECG into debt to the tune of over 500 million Ghana cedis,” she said.
She said, today ECG is indebted to GRIDCO alone to the tune of over 1billion cedis.
For this reason, she said only bad management would send the country back to the days of DUMSOR with all these investment in the sector.
Della Sowah further told the government to put a stop to the excuses, admit the reality and be truthful to Ghanaians.
“Don’t shy away from dumsor, admit and give us a timetable to enable us plan our lives and businesses,” she said.
Recent power issues in the country continue to be a major challenge for most Ghanaians despite the government’s assurance of constant electricity supply.
This notwithstanding, the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has reiterated that the situation is not being caused by generation challenges but rather, ongoing maintenance and repair works on a number of its equipment and plants.
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Speaker of Parliament inaugurates open Parliament Steering Committee, launches action plan
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has launched the Open Parliament Steering Committee and the Open Parliament Action Plan.
The ceremony was under the theme “Achieving Gender Equality: Action by Action.”
The Speaker highlighted the critical role Parliament plays in translating the will of the people into inclusive legislation, responsive policies, and accountable governance.
“The International Day of Parliamentarianism is worth celebrating, as it offers an opportunity not only to recognise and promote achievements in strengthening democratic governance, but also to pause and reflect on the remaining gaps in institutionalising parliamentary democracy,” he said.
He noted that the event was scheduled to coincide with the International Day of Parliamentarianism to reinforce the importance of open and inclusive governance.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, stated that the International Day of Parliamentarianism is intended to recognise the vital role Parliaments play globally as pillars of democratic governance.
He noted that this marks the first time Ghana is formally observing the day.
“The gravity of our observance is further accentuated as we convene to witness the launch of the Open Parliament Action Plan by the Open Government Partnership Caucus,” he said.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, described the Open Parliament Action Plan as a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening the relationship between Parliament and the public.
She said the plan represents a bold commitment to making Parliament more transparent, accessible, and responsive to the needs of Ghanaians.
The Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, described the launch as a key milestone in the effort to build a citizen-focused and accountable Parliament.
He added that the International Day of Parliamentarianism is a call to action to recommit to the highest standards of public service and democratic accountability.
The inauguration was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including the Majority and Minority Members of Parliament, members of the Open Parliament Steering Committee, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Caucus, Parliamentary Network Africa, representatives from civil society organisations, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional and religious leaders, student bodies, the Parliamentary Press Corps, and other media partners.
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NACOC declares drug menace a national emergency
The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior has paid a working visit to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to engage with its leadership and assess operational challenges hampering the fight against illicit drugs.
In a detailed presentation, Dr. Basha Ligbi, Head of the Commission’s Research Bureau, highlighted critical setbacks including broken body scanners at airport terminals, inadequate office infrastructure, overcrowded detention facilities, and deteriorating vehicles.
He also called for the Commission’s headquarters to be reclassified as a security zone, citing growing security risks due to private encroachment and nearby high-rise developments.
Director General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obiba Mantey, described the escalating drug trade as a national emergency, warning that drug barons now rival armed robbers in threat level and are gaining influence at the highest levels.
He appealed for stronger institutional support and morale-boosting interventions to preserve the integrity of NACOC officers.
Chairman of the Committee and MP for Builsa North, James Agalga, assured the Commission of the Committee’s commitment to escalate the concerns to Parliament and engage key justice sector stakeholders to fast-track reforms in support of NACOC’s mandate.
