Celebrities lead Ghana protests over power outages

ACCRA, GHANA -Hundreds of Ghanaians took to the streets of Accra on Saturday in a peaceful protest against power supply outages affecting businesses and daily life across the West African nation.

Dressed in red and black, with leaders in red berets, demonstrators marched through the capital, calling on the government to stabilise the power supply.

Chanting patriotic songs and carrying kerosene-powered lanterns to symbolise their plight, the large crowd caused traffic gridlock in the evening.

Despite being one of the first African countries to pursue electrification aggressively, Ghana suffers from chronic power shortages and struggles to expand capacity to meet growing demand.

Dubbed the #DumsorMustStop vigil - "dumsor" meaning power cuts - the protest was organised by prominent Ghanaian actress and film producer Yvonne Nelson.

"I am feeling the heat, and I am here to voice out," Nelson told AFP.

Also joining the protest, Ghanaian comedian DKB told AFP: "These unannounced power outages are killing our craft. We need stable electricity to thrive."

Ordinary Ghanaians also voiced their frustration.

Shop owner Anita Twumasi was visibly distressed as she shared how the power outages affected her six-month-old baby.

"My baby cannot stand the heat. Every time the power goes off, I worry for her health," she said.

Protesters blame the power cuts on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government's alleged failure to pay for necessary fuel.

The protesters wielded signs with slogans such as "NPP, you've failed the youth," "No light, no progress," and "Electricity is a right, not a privilege."

Electricity has become a major campaign issue in Ghana, a country rich in gold and oil, ahead of elections in December.

Kwame Danso, a local barber, lamented the loss of business due to the unreliable power supply.

"No light, no customers. How are we supposed to make a living?" he asked, holding a placard that read: "Stop the blackouts, save our jobs."