In 2015, Ghana battled a serious case of incessant power outages throughout the country.
The situation, popularly known as ‘dumsor,’ affected the lives and livelihoods of citizens, eventually resulting in a massive demonstration by citizens to air their displeasure.
The protest, named #DumsorMustStop, was spearheaded by actress Yvonne Nelson and took place in Accra in 2015.
Other celebrities, including Prince David Osei, Van Vicker, DKB, and many others, took to the streets to show their displeasure.
Fast forward to 2024, and Ghana is battling another case of ‘dumsor.’
Calls have been made for another #dumsormuststop demonstration.
And all eyes have turned to celebrities and other influencers to be a leading voice in the upcoming demonstration.
While some have been silent about the issue, others have spoken up about the effects of ‘dumsor’ on their lives.
Here is a list of Ghanaian celebrities who have been vocal about the ‘dumsor’ situation.
John Dumelo
Actor, farmer, and politician John Dumelo has been vocal about the 'dumsor' situation. In a series of interviews granted to TV3 while on the campaign trail for the Ayawaso West Wuogon parliamentary seat, he has continuously criticized the government for not addressing the resurgence of power outages and for not being transparent about it.
“Dumsor has come back, and you are failing to let the people know that Dumsor has come back because you simply don’t want to bring out a timetable,” Dumelo stated.
Claiming that the issue had been resolved during John Mahama's presidency by 2016, Dumelo called for the government to acknowledge the problem and release a schedule to help Ghanaians manage their daily activities and businesses.
Fella Makafui
Ghanaian actress and philanthropist Fella Makafui, speaking on the United Showbiz programme, noted the seriousness of the 'dumsor' phenomenon but suggested that the government could alleviate public tension over the recent power outages by releasing a load-shedding timetable.
“I think what will help is the publication of a timetable that will enable us to know the areas that will be affected [by the power outage] at certain times,” she said.
This, she said, would allow Ghanaians to plan their activities around the power cuts and also reduce calls for protests against the erratic power supply.
However, Makafui did not commit to participating in any demonstrations when asked.
KSM
Veteran comedian Kwaku Sintim-Misa has been vocal about social and political issues in the country.
In a lengthy video released on YouTube, the KSM show host accused the government of refusing to release a load-shedding timetable because it wanted to prove that its dumsor was better than the previous administration's.
“You know why there’s no schedule? Because there was dumsor under the NDC; they wanted to prove that their dumsor was better than the NDC's dumsor, which is why they don't want to release one,” he claimed.
DKB
Another outspoken comedian, Derrick Kobina Bonney (DKB), has also been vocal about issues in the country.
In a heated post on social media in April 2024, the comedian expressed his frustration with the nation's economic woes and frequent power outages, known as 'dumsor,' on social media.
He added that speaking his mind about these issues could lead to him being put in police custody.
"You've not been seeing my tweets lately because Chale, the way the bad economy and dumsor dey make I vex daily if I go tweet, I'll end up in the corner (behind bars). Who else feels the same?” he posted.
You've not being seeing my tweets lately cos Chale the way the bad economy and dumsor dey make I vex daily, If I go tweet, I'll end up for counter back.
— DKB GHANA (@dkbghana) April 26, 2024
Who else feels the same?
Yvonne Nelson
After a successful 2015 demonstration, renowned actress Yvonne Nelson is rallying support for a new protest against the recurring 'dumsor’ situation.
In a press release put out recently, she called for unity and action to address the recurring 'dumsor.' She added that the fight against 'dumsor' transcends politics and requires national cooperation.
She reached out to past allies and the public to organize another vigil, highlighting the importance of collective effort in this endeavour.
“It is disheartening to witness the return of Dumsor, casting a shadow over our progress and development as a nation. I never imagined that we would find ourselves in this situation once again, and the fact that it persists for another long period is truly alarming.
"In light of these troubling developments, I have taken to social media to reach out to Imani Ghana, who supported the initial #DumsorMustStop Campaign, to explore the possibility of organizing another vigil. We must come together once again to demand accountability and action from our leaders,” parts of her statement read.
Join me #Dumsormuststop pic.twitter.com/ItoWAEtxFj
— 𝓨𝓿𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@yvonnenelsongh) April 30, 2024
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