Keep Ghanaians informed about power outages - Afenyo-Markin to ECG

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to provide regular updates to Ghanaians regarding recent interruptions in power supply.

In an interview with Accra-based TV3, he stressed that as a state institution serving the public interest, it is essential for ECG to inform citizens in advance about potential power outages.

Reflecting on his own experience, Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted fluctuations in his electricity supply and stressed the importance of timely notifications from ECG. 

“I told you that yesterday my lights were on and today they are on. It doesn’t mean that I always get light. Sometimes, my lights go off without notice so I agree with you that ECG should come out and update us,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin said. 

He acknowledged that while his lights may be on today, this does not guarantee uninterrupted power, thus supporting the need for improved communication from ECG.

Despite acknowledging these challenges, Afenyo-Markin dismissed the notion that recent power interruptions constitute "Dumsor" and urged against politicizing the situation or blaming the government.

He mentioned the importance of transparency and accountability, stating that citizens deserve to know the reasons behind any technical issues leading to power disruptions. 

“If for some technical reasons, we will not have light, we should know. We shouldn’t reduce everything to politics. It’s a state institution. It should be able to update Ghanaians because we pay for electricity. So they they should be able to update us that today, you will have light for five hours because of A, B and C and D so we are clear,” he said.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin specifically called on Mr. Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahama, the Managing Director of ECG, to ensure that the company's public affairs unit fulfils its duty of informing Ghanaians about potential electricity interruptions.