Dumsor Vigil Ends Peacefully

The "Dumsor Must Stop" vigil spearheaded by the some celebrities in the country ended peacefully.

The vigil started from the Legon overhead bridge and ended at the green lawn of the Tetteh Quarshie roundabout in Accra.

The vigil, which started at about 16:30 hour witnessed an impressive turnout of protestors and some celebrities as well as politicians hoisting their lantern, candle light, placards with inscriptions ‘ Dumsor Must Stop’ to express their dissatisfaction about the erratic power supply in the country.

The protesters numbering more than 1,000 including known celebrities like Van Vicker, Yvonne Nelson, Prince David Osei, Wanlov Kubolor, D-Black, Barima Sidney, Afia Schwarzenegger were clad in white and black apparel, to signify the damage caused by the consistent power out, which has engulfed the country.

Mr Vicker, an Actor said the ‘Dumsor’ situation has affected businesses not only in the public sector but the private arena especially in the creative industry and as such thought it prudent to join the vigil as a signal to government to be proactive in addressing the problem.

With tears on the faces of the Actor, he said the situation should be seen as a concern for all and not politics, because almost business venture revolve around electricity and urged all to speak with one voice to handle the situation.

He was of the view that the country must be free from the economic woes that has led to the stern power rationing over the past three years.

Mrs Efia Tenge, Public Relations Officer, Greater Accra Regional Police said the protestors conducted themselves well, which shows mark of maturity on their part.

She said the police were there in their numbers to ensure that the vigil went on peacefully and that there was no untoward situation to mar the protest except some minor misunderstanding.

Mrs Tenge said the police presence was not to scare anybody but to ensure the safety of all protestors, hence the need to dispatch more than hundred personnel.

A gentleman spotting a T-shirt with the inscription “Mahama will succeed” had his shirt torn into pieces by some angry participants leaving the gentleman with his bare chest.

Spotted at the Vigil protest was Mr Halidu Haruna, a National Democratic Congress Communicator, but the protestors were not happy with his presence and was taken away by the police personnel.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, majority of the protestors expressed dismay about the power supply in the country, stressing that the situation has caused more harm experiencing low productivity.

“ This is not about politics, we need to be realistic, we are faced with a national issue and have to voice out for the authorities to do the right thing. We are suffering, our businesses are collapsing, workers are laid off every time, government should wake up”, they said.

The “Dumsor Must Stop” campaign started on social media instagram by Actress Yvonne Nelson and has generated an overwhelming response from the public.

The planned vigil created altercation between the La Traditional Council and the Ga Traditional Council over who had control over lands in the area where the vigil is scheduled to take place but was later resolve after a meeting with parties involved.