Former President John Dramani Mahama has said it is "most disrespectful" for Energy Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh to have branded those demanding a dumsor timetable as people wishing evil for Ghana and telling them to publish their own timetable.

"Ask those who want it to bring it if there is [one]," the Manhyia South MP told journalists on Monday, 25 March 2024, at the inauguration of the governing New Patriotic Party's campaign team in the Ashanti Region.

"I haven't seen any timetable," he noted, adding: "The Electricity Company of Ghana says that there's no timetable coming," so "why do you want to bring a timetable?"

"For what purpose? Why would somebody wake up and wish for evil and wish bad for the country?" he wondered.

Dr Opoku Prempeh said: "When it is not planned, you can't tell the person."

Speaking to members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) during a stakeholder engagement, Mr Mahama said: "The country has been plunged into darkness. Mismanagement about generating assets and collateralisation of ESLA, which was meant to provide the resources to finance current and legacy debt, has led us back to dumsor. The best government can do is eat a humble pie, take responsibility for the problem and work to address it. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I'm aware that businesses and households cannot plan because of the erratic power situation".

"While citizens demand a schedule to enable them to plan, which is the least the responsible government should be doing, Energy Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who was one of the frontline participants of the 'Dumsor must stop' campaign while in opposition, is reported to have said, those asking for a load-shedding timetable wish ill for the country, and they should publish their schedule".

"This is most disrespectful to Ghanaians and the customers of electric power. There is absolutely no doubt that businesses strive in a stable macroeconomic environment where revenue measures are designed to motivate the local production for growth and fiscal consolidation."