GHANAIANS are still waiting to see what will happen to the current energy crisis (which has become known in our local parlance as dumsor(power cuts) by the end of December as promised by President John Dramani Mahama and his ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). Though we are not expecting a complete end to the problem in December, we want to believe that the promise by the president to improve the power situation at the end of the said month becomes a reality.
THE truth of the matter is that the dumsor problem has now become something that the country has to contend with despite its negative effects on the economy. The reason is that for the past three years that the Mahama-led NDC promised to end the erratic power supply facing the country, we are yet to see that promise materialising. In fact, there is a growing discontent among Ghanaians, especially the business community, and if nothing is done to enhance the energy situation by the end of this year, the whole economy will come to a halt.
IT is in the light of this that Today wants to use this medium to remind President John Dramani Mahama about his promise to fix the problem by the end of December. We hope this will not be like one of his numerous failed promises, else the majority of Ghanaians, including some of his own appointees, like Brigadier Nunoo Mensah and the Majority Leader in Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, will not forgive him. It is therefore important for President Dramani Mahama to know that he has less than four (4) years to make it happen.
AND whether this can be possible or not, depends on how government will open up to Ghanaians on the issue without necessarily trying to apportion blames on some past regimes notably, the opposition New Patriotic Party.(NPP). That kind of posture, Today believes, will not help solve the problem. What the government must know is that it is not about which government added what megawatts to what? Instead it is about which government admits there is a challenge with our energy and it is ready to fix it without complaints.
HOWEVER, the situation where government appointees particularly, communicators, always try to defend and justify the government’s actions on the energy problem is not the best. What those appointees should know is that governments like the NDCs are formed to fix problems and not to be defending and apportioning blames on issues of national interest.
AND that is the more reason why Today was glad when President Dramani Mahama somewhere this year in one of his trips abroad openly admitted that he is responsible for the energy problem and consequently promised to fix it. That itself alone is a mark of a good leader but such leadership can only become significant if all targets are achieved. And we want to believe that President Dramani Mahama will endeavour to ensure that the energy situation which has become an albatross on his government is solved.
MANY companies have folded up while others have relocated to our neigbouring countries as a result of the energy situation. And that development, we on this paper think, is not good for our dwindling economy. It is therefore imperative for the president to walk the talk so as to bring economic relief to the people who have become despondent. And while we are waiting for the government to fix the problem, we want to call on other political parties and individuals who have alternative ideas to liaise with government to help make the energy problem “a thing of the past.”
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