By Daniel Agbesi Latsu
Kadjebi (O/R), Feb. 19, GNA – Residents of Kadjebi in the Oti Region have heightened concerns over persistent and unannounced power outages, describing the situation as worrying and disruptive to economic and social activities in the area.
According to them, the erratic power supply, which has occurred frequently over the past few weeks, is adversely affecting businesses, public institutions and households.
Some residents are questioning whether “dumsor,” the local term for Ghana’s prolonged power crisis experienced some years ago, has returned without any official communication.
Mr Gabriel Kumah, a cold store operator at Cocoa Market, a suburb of Kadjebi, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the situation was taking a toll on his business.
“The constant outages are affecting my cold store. When the power goes off for long hours, I risk losing perishable goods and that means financial loss,” he said.
He appealed to the relevant authorities to intervene urgently and ensure a stable power supply to safeguard businesses and livelihoods.
Ms Valeria Mensah, a fishmonger at Martin Kordzi, another suburb of Kadjebi, shared similar concerns.
She said the unpredictable outages made it difficult for traders dealing in perishable goods to plan effectively.
“What is happening in Ghana? Is it dumsor that has resumed?” she asked, adding that residents deserved to be informed if there were challenges with power generation or distribution.
An official at a public office in Kadjebi, who spoke to GNA on condition of anonymity, said a scheduled Performance Review meeting on Thursday, February 19, was disrupted by the outage.
According to the official, the meeting had already commenced when the power suddenly went off.
“We had already informed participants about the programme and were not expecting any interruption. Now we have to think about alternative arrangements for power supply,” the source said.
Some residents have therefore called on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and other relevant stakeholders to provide clear communication on the cause of the outages and measures being taken to address them.
They stressed that prior notice of planned interruptions would enable businesses and institutions to prepare adequately to minimise losses and inconvenience.
Efforts by GNA to reach local officials of the power distribution company for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
Residents have appealed for swift action to restore stable power supply and prevent further disruption to economic and social activities in the area.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Audrey Dekalu