Power challenge for Ghana trigger calls for load shedding timetable

“Di power go off two times on Thursday, I no fit operate my corn mill,” Elikem Tonyi tok BBC news pidgin about di power situation.

Elikem say for four days now, di power no dey stable for north legon wia “dem never tok we wetin dey happun.”

All im customers dey try find oda places where dem go fit grind dia maize.

For parts of McCarthy hill, di power situation don dey disrupt lives.

Patricia Otu no fit bear di heat afta im return from work. For two straight nights, she sleep for darkness.

“Even last night part of di neighborhood go off, pipo dey complain.”

Many parts of di kontri don dey experience power persistent outages. For social media many pipo don frustrate.

Some dey tok say ‘dumsor’ come back. Dumsor be period for Ghana between 2012 - 2016 wia energy crisis don hit di kontri.

During dis time pipo don stay for darkness sake of power outages.

Wetin di power transmitter tok

Di Ghana grid company (Gridco) don explain wetin dey happun.

For one statement dem release, dem tok say dem get supply challenge. Gridco say “due to di limited gas supply to Tema, dem get gap of 500 mgw for peak time.”

Dis go affect power supply to consumers for parts of di kontri.

Ghana im power sources be from hydroelectricity, thermal source wey crude oil, natural gas den diesel dey fuel am.

Di kontri also dey rely on solar den oda imports from Ivory Coast, according to di energy ministry.

Total installed capacity for di existing plants be 4,132mw wey dey consist of 38% hydro, 61% thermal wia solar be less dan 1%.

Di volta river authority (VRA) don dey distribute power wit gas wia dem supply by ghana gas company.

Di gas dey flow through di pipelines to VRA wia dem dey use to generate di power for di kontri.

Na so anytime di gas supply chain get wahala, di power generation go dey affected.

Critics don bash goment over di power issues

Energy analysts don tok say make goment focus on dealing wit di debt dem owe power producers.

In June, di independent power producers (IPPs) threaten say dem go shutdown dia services sake of goment dey owe dem more dan $2b.

Afta one meeting on 1 July, di IPPs suspend dia shutdown afta dem reach “interim deal wit di state-run electricity company of ghana over dia arrears.”

One former power minister, John Jinapor don tok say di reason why di power problem dey happun be “sake of goment make broke.”

Im add say “goment no fit pay for gas wia dem use generate electricity, dat be wetin dey lead to shortage of gas supply.”

Many consumers don ask say make di electricity company of Ghana (ECG) publish load-shedding timetable make dem take plan dia lives.

Erica Antwi dey run one restaurant for Accra, wia di power trips dey affect im job.

Erica say if dem publish timetable, im go know how im go arrange business for di restaurant and how to preserve im meat and fish.

“If we know when them go off di light, we go find oda means preserve our fruits, vegetables den meat so dem no go spoil.”

Pipo fear say ‘dumsor’ dey return

During di ‘dumsor’ period pipo lose dia businesses sake of regular power trips.

Na so actress and influencer Yvonne Nelson den im oda celebrities on 16 May 2015, hold vigil for di capital Accra.

Thousands of pipo comot for street dat night wit candles wia dem do procession.

Di #DumsorMustStop vigil at di time be say dem go pile pressure for di goment say make dem fix di power crisis.

At di time, many pipo buy generators to run dia house and business.

Di recent power cuts dey trigger pipo say di kontri don dey return to di #dumsor days.

For social media, many pipo dey vex. Francis Yao Selormey for Accra write for Facebook “ECG, you go fit publish timetable for dis dumsor? Dis be nauseating.”

Anoda pesin Sheik Sienu say make dem “publish timetable. Di power situation for Kumasi be bad.”

Even though di Ghana grid company tok say di problem be gas supply issue, dem no tok how long e go last.

Dem also no explain wetin cause di gas supply issue, wia dey lead to di power supply challenge.