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Ghana’s capital Accra was rocked by a massive demonstration on Saturday as civil society groups took to the streets to demand an end to chronic power shortages in the country.
Timed to start to at dusk, the time when several neighborhoods of the capital go dark due to electricity cuts, the rally momentarily brought vehicular traffic to a standstill along the typically busy Madina Road.
Led by actress Yvonne Nelson, the coalition of civil society groups, entertainers, and business owners took to the streets to pressure the government into finding a lasting solution to the energy crisis.
Hundreds of Ghanaians took to the streets of Accra on Saturday in a peaceful protest against power outages affecting businesses and daily life in the West African country.
Dressed in red and black, with leaders in red berets, demonstrators marched through the capital calling on the government to stabilize power supplies.
Singing patriotic songs and carrying kerosene-powered lanterns to symbolize their plight, the large crowd caused a traffic jam in the evening.
Despite being one of the first African countries to aggressively pursue electrification, Ghana faces chronic power shortages and struggles to expand capacity to meet growing demand.
The protest, also called the #DumsorMustStop vigil – ‘dumsor’ means power cuts – was organized by prominent Ghanaian actress and film producer Yvonne Nelson.
“I feel the heat and I am here to make my voice heard,” Nelson told AFP.
Ghanaian comedian DKB also took part in the protest, telling AFP: “These unannounced power cuts are killing our profession. We need stable electricity to thrive.”
Ordinary Ghanaians also expressed their frustration.
Shop owner Anita Twumasi was visibly distressed as she talked about how the power outage had affected her six-month-old baby.
“My baby can’t stand the heat. Every time the power goes out, I worry about her health,” she said.
Protesters blame the power outages on the alleged inability of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to pay for necessary fuel.
The demonstrators held placards with slogans such as “NPP, you have failed the youth,” “No light, no progress” and “Electricity is a right, not a privilege.”
Electricity has become a key campaign issue in gold and oil-rich Ghana, ahead of December elections.
Kwame Danso, a local hairdresser, complained about the loss of business due to the unreliable power supply.
“No lights, no customers. How are we supposed to make a living?” he asked, holding a sign that read: “Stop the blackouts, save our jobs.”