Stephen Bernard Donkor : Dumsor now, dumsor then…

On May 16, 2015, Yvonne Nelson, with some other Ghanaians marched through the principal streets of the capital to register their displeasure on the incessant power fluctuations. Six years down the line, the "dumsor" tradition goes on. I, for one, believe in the usual saying which goes like "what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander" During that protest, Former, President John Dramani Mahama was at the helm of affairs and one can attest to the fact that, he received a lot of bashing from the media space because "Dumsor" was prevalent then.

Songs and skits were used to dent the hard earned reputation of Former, President Mahama. It was a devastating moment for him as the President. The opposition, New Patriotic Party (NPP) then, capitalised on it during the build up to the 2016 General Elections. As usual of a typical Ghanaian politician, name calling became the order of the day. As a result of “dumsor”, the economy was badly affected. Who eventually becomes more wretched? Is it he who commits injustice or he who suffers it? Ah well, it is quite debatable. Now, Former President Mahama was vilified and rendered as though he wasn't fit for the job. I have been nurtured on core values of honesty and so I simply have no qualms on your thoughts on this article of mine.

Besides, journalism doesn’t kowtow to any form of intimidation. I will always practise journalism devoid of biases. Believe it or not, Former, President Mahama lost the 2016 Elections as a result of "dumsor" What distinguishes leaders from a subjects is problem solving. "Dumsor" continues to wreak havoc within some sectors of the economy today. With majority of companies resorting to Generators for their production, others are compelled to halt production. A situation that has the tendency of creating job losses.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory, will forever remain my all-time favourite Leader. This man was indeed a leader. No wonder his leadership qualities won him the name "Osaagyefo". The Akosombo dam and many other projects were done by this same man. At least, Nkrumah's tenure was better than NDC and NPP combined. Kwame Nkrumah show boy was an appellation that was common during his tenure and even now. No President can ever beat Dr. Nkrumah in terms of vision and development. What our current crop of leaders lack is the ability to learn from their opponent’s mistakes. They don't learn until; Electorates show them the exist. Yes, we are not in normal times but the impact of power cannot be underestimated.

I hear, the Power Distribution Company, Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) was having discussion with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on load shedding timetable from April to July. This, they believe will enable people in affected areas to plan their lives during the maintenance work. Even though, I commend the GRIDCo for portraying professionalism, they could have done better. Whether the key projects be completed in July this year or otherwise, the good people of Ghana deserve better. Enough of the technical terms. Let’s be proactive as leaders and ensure that the welfare of our people is held in high esteem. Just for the purposes of record, should “Dumsor” persist, the NPP must forget the 2024 General Elections. I’m not a prophet nor seer. I’m simply a critical thinker.

The author, Stephen Bernard Donkor won the African Journalist for Economic Opportunity Training (AJEOT-2018) Best Story of the Year and a GIJ Student.

Writer’s email: [email protected]