Samuel Dubik Mahama, the Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has apologized to customers for the recent power outages, known locally as “Dumsor.”
His apology comes in response to widespread power disruptions affecting various regions of the country, which have caused considerable inconvenience and damage to both businesses and households.
Despite efforts by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and other parties involved, ECG was unable to provide a load-shedding schedule, leading GRIDCo to inform the former Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, of the situation.
In an interview, Mr. Mahama acknowledged the detrimental impact of these intermittent outages on Ghanaians and explained the challenges ECG faced in creating a load-shedding timetable to assist businesses in planning.
He cited difficulties with power generation as a major factor hindering consistent electricity transmission. Mr. Mahama assured the public that ECG values its customers and is actively working to resolve these issues.
“There were generation challenges… Please remember, we never intend to take our customers for granted. I sincerely apologize for the hardships caused. I understand the uncertainty affected many families and their daily lives,” he said.
Mr. Mahama also expressed appreciation to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for their swift and effective completion of routine maintenance.
He highlighted the importance of the IPPs’ prompt response to maintenance issues, noting that certain plants, like CEN Power, faced critical problems, such as gas valve malfunctions, which needed urgent repair to prevent significant financial loss.
