Akufo-Addo’s government 'hiding' power crisis to pass it over to NDC with estimated US$2bn debt – Mahama

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate, John Mahama, has accused the government of planning to burden a future NDC administration with the country’s worsening power crisis if his party wins the upcoming election.

Mahama alleged that the government has avoided issuing a load-shedding timetable to hide the full extent of the power challenges facing the country. He attributed these ongoing disruptions to the recent exit of Sunon Asogli from the power supply sector, which he claims has further strained the system.

Additionally, Mahama warned that the administration intends to leave an estimated $2 billion debt in the energy sector for the next government, which would restrict future efforts to address the crisis and complicate the sector’s recovery.

He made these statements while addressing supporters in Ehiamankyene, Krachi West District, in the Oti Region.

“We do not have a stable plant because Sunon Asogli has shut down its plant due to significant unpaid debt owed by the government. As a result, dumsor has returned and this is because the government is not being truthful with Ghanaians, in our previous administration we implemented a load-shedding timetable to manage the crisis but the current government refuses to do so because they fear being blamed for bringing back dumsor.

“However the reality is that dumsor is back, they know the NDC is likely to come to power, so they are trying to shift this burden onto us, additionally they are planning to pass an estimated bill of two billion dollars in debt within the energy sector to the next NDC administration,” he stated.

Mahama also projected that the party will secure a victory in the Greater Accra Region by a margin of three hundred thousand votes in the upcoming December 7 elections.

“We want to increase the vote that we get from Volta and the Oti regions, and I am sure that if we are able to do that, it will also increase our vote in Greater Accra. Greater Accra we won it the last time…We need to win with about three hundred thousand votes and we need to widen the gap in the Volta region.

“NPP got about a hundred thousand votes in the Volta region the last time and we got about eight hundred thousand votes, we need to decrease the votes that they get in the Volta region. I don’t think NPP will get about three hundred thousand votes in the Volta region,” he said.