Who Should We Blame? – Part 1

When I read the Ola Rotimi's play “The Gods Are Not To Blame”, I got the sense that patience and hard work pays a lot in achieving success. In the play, King Odewale was impatient with the gods and got himself chastised in the end. On the other side, why was Odewale destined by the gods to kill his father and marry the mother? Why didn't the gods reverse this misfortune?

I am just trying to relate this to Ghana's Energy Situation now popularly known as “DOMSOR DOMSOR”. Almost every Ghanaian, man or woman, old or young, literate or illiterate is chastising the President, John Dramani Mahama for his inability to solve the energy crisis. The opposition has even called for his head from the office. But, should we blame President Mahama? Should we blame Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Volta River Authority (VRA) or Ghanaians? Who should We Blame?

Ghana has been experiencing power outages and load shedding for over a decade now and this has been a regular political campaign jingle for many political parties especially in the Fourth Republic. While political 'animals' have used it to their advantage in gaining political power, the story looks different when these people secure their way to the political seat to govern the country. Frankly, these political 'exploiters' have done barely little to curb the electricity situation.

At a point when Ghanaians believe they can enjoy stable power with the coming into stream the Bui Dam Electrification project, the reverse is the case. There is also noise about the number of megawatts of electricity and sub-stations added to the already existing national grid. As a lay man, I do not understand what it means by megawatts of electricity. The only evidence of addition or subtractions of megawatts of electricity is the availability of light for me to store my cold fish, sell my pure water, operate my grinding mill, and probably charge my mobile phone. There is no amount of explanation that will make me understand better than this.

Unfortunately, the intensity of domsor domsor has become a macabre in many lengths or to put it better, a necessary evil in our daily life. Not only has it caused several industrial and domestic fire outbreaks which led to several lives lost and properties worth millions of money destroyed, but also, the domsor has become a yardstick for dismissal and retrenchment of workers both in private and public companies. This has resulted in a galloping unemployment rate. I cannot forget of the slow growth and possible collapse of many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) due to huge cost of production and operations.

Indeed, the domsor domsor has become a 'meningitis and an incurable meander'. It has inflicted Ghanaians with melancholia. What else could I say?

But, it is that people put in positions of power have taken alibi for good governance? Or maybe, duty bearers and role players have great kleptomania which is preventing them from doing the right thing? I personally believe that these egocentric officials who claim to be servants are pretending to be patriots.

Could I possibly blame the President for this mess? On one breath, I could because he is the leader and must lead the entire process to recover the solution to the domsor menace. But he alone can try but cannot dig the entire well for the water to flow. The President is not a saint. He is a homo-sapien just like us. I believe the solution lies barely on the hands of all Ghanaians. What are we doing in our own way to solve this problem once and for all?

What are students and research institutions doing about this? Solutions to societal problems are handy work of students and researchers. Or it is that we have forgotten our role in problem-solving? Social entrepreneurs and innovators, where are you? Have you lost your ability to bring out creative and innovation ideas to solve this domsor crisis?

The so-called Electrical engineers and experts of power, have you lost you value and role in society? Do you just call yourself electrical engineers for nothing seek? Where are the officials of ECG and VRA, you are wanted for questioning. Can't you use your long experience and lessons learnt over the years and best managerial skill to unseat the domsor problem?

Ghanaians on the street, what are you doing? You have a big role to play in solving the problem. Your wise suggestions are needed. The duty bearers need your prayers and participation.

I don't want to believe that Ghana is full of incompetent people; neither do I want to accept that all of us are just determine merchants of loot and share. We should not just sit in our air-condition offices and drive our exotic cars and allow this domsor to continue, otherwise, we all, Ghanaians are our own enemies of service and mother Ghana will not forgive us.

President Mahama stated in his 2015 State of Nation Address that, he will fix the domsor challenge. This is okay. But, talk without action does not solve societal problems. It is time we all stop talking and start doing. Let's stop blaming one another for the problem and find ourself a role to play that will lead to recovery from the domsor problem. It is a collective responsibility. The problem is now systemic and one player cannot score that goal, but collectively as a team, we can fix this issue. The President must lead, the Ministers must implement the policies, ECG and VRA must do proper management, Students and Researchers must perform their research role, the social entrepreneurs and innovators must bring out innovative ideas and Ghanaians must act according to the laws. Every single Ghanaian has a role to play in the process if our dream of developing a great nation devoid of domsor is to be realized.

Together, we can do it. We can fix this domsor meningitis. After all, we promised in our national pledge, 'to be faithful and loyal to Ghana our Mother land, so help us God'.

Writer's contact: [email protected] or o240393109

30/03/2015