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Dumsor looms, Mahama’s govt must act swiftly – IES
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The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has issued a dire warning about an impending power crisis, commonly referred to as ‘dumsor,’ urging the Mahama administration to take immediate action.
This follows concerns raised by John Abdulai Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, who cited a severe fuel shortage as the root cause of the looming crisis.
Speaking after the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama in Accra on Tuesday, January 7, 2024, Jinapor revealed that Ghana’s current fuel stock is critically low, with only five hours of fuel supply remaining.
He criticized the outgoing administration for failing to secure sufficient fuel, leaving the incoming government in a vulnerable position.
Backing these claims, Nana Amoasi VII, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), highlighted the fragile state of Ghana’s power sector during an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM.
He attributed the crisis to systemic inefficiencies and poor planning, stressing the urgent need for reforms to prevent prolonged power outages.
The IES and other stakeholders are calling for decisive action to address the situation and stabilize the country’s power supply.
“It is not something that we were not expecting. Being watchers of the space, we knew very well that we had a very fragile power sector stemming from systemic inefficiencies, including poor planning,” Nana Amoasi VII stated.
He emphasised the reliance on natural gas and the lack of adequate backup or stock of liquid fuel, which has left the country exposed to potential power outages.
“Today we are more reliant on natural gas, but thank God almost all the plants that we have in Ghana, excluding the hydro ones and the solar, all of them can run on liquid fuel as well. But we knew that we don’t have any backup or any stock of liquid fuel in adequate form, so we knew that at a certain point in time we could be exposed,” he explained.
Nana Amoasi VII expressed disappointment that no procurement or lifting arrangements were made during the transition to ensure a seamless power supply.
“Unfortunately, we were expecting that as part of the transition arrangement, some form of procurement or lifting would have been made to ensure that there is no gap left within the space, but our checks indicate that we don’t have enough liquid fuel to give us that reliance and assurance that we won’t have any shock in power supply,” he added.
The IES Executive Director appealed to the current administration to take immediate action to address the looming crisis.
“So we will appeal to the men in charge today to get back to work and start work as soon as possible. Either than that, we are largely exposed,” he stated.
Source: citinewsroom.com
MTN Ghana has undertaken a tree-planting exercise at the Chipa Forest Reserve as part of its commitment to protecting the planet and support the restoration of degraded sections of the forest.
The activity forms part of the company’s 2026 Sustainability Month celebration held under the theme “Small Actions: Big Impact,” and its 30th anniversary celebration.
It was held in partnership with the Forestry Commission (FC) and the Rainforest Alliance with MTN Ghana supporting the restoration of approximately two hectares of degraded forest through the planting of 1,666 trees.
Due to the current dry weather conditions, 833 trees were planted during the exercise, with the remaining 833 to be planted when the rain commences.
The exercise brought together MTN employee volunteers, officials from the Forestry Commission and representatives of the Rainforest Alliance, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in driving environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the event, the Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, emphasized the critical role trees play in sustaining life and protecting the environment.
“Trees are essential to human survival and healthy ecosystems. They absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, regulate temperatures, protect soil, support biodiversity and provide habitats for many species. They also conserve water, reduce erosion and help communities adapt to the effects of climate change,” she said.
The District Manager of the Tema-Ada Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Linda Ansah, welcomed MTN Ghana’s support, describing it as a valuable contribution to efforts aimed at restoring degraded sections of the reserve.
The Country Director of the Rainforest Alliance, Nicholas Jengri, also welcomed the partnership and emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
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The Ministry of Education (MOE) has warned students, parents and guardians against fake and digitally manipulated Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) placement slips being circulated on social media.
The MOE said it had detected attempts by some unscrupulous individuals to digitally alter placement slips and circulate them online with claims that students’ original school placements had been changed by the Ministry.
A statement signed by Mr Hashmin Mohammed, the Press Secretary to the Minister of Education issued to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday, described the claims as “false and misleading.”
It said preliminary internal verification had established that some of the placement slips being circulated did not correspond with records generated from the official CSSPS platform.
The statement noted that discrepancies had been identified in the barcodes and QR codes appearing on some of the purported placement slips.
“The codes did not match the placement information displayed on the documents being circulated as evidence of alleged changes,” it added.
The Ministry’s system records and audit logs did not support the claims being made by individuals circulating the materials, the statement said.
“The evidence available to the Ministry indicates that the affected documents have been digitally manipulated or otherwise altered to create the impression that students’ placements have been changed.”
It described the alleged manipulation as a serious attempt to undermine public confidence in the CSSPS process and create confusion and anxiety among students, parents and guardians.
The statement indicated that the Ministry had referred the matter to the Cyber Security Authority and other relevant security agencies for further investigation and appropriate action. It urged the public to exercise caution and avoid sharing unverified placement slips or claims about placement changes on social media.
Parents, guardians and students have also been advised to rely only on placement information obtained through official CSSPS channels.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the 2026 CSSPS exercise was conducted with transparency, fairness, integrity and accountability, adding that legitimate concerns regarding placement would be investigated through the appropriate channels.
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