The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), a government-run utility provider, took action on Thursday by temporarily cutting off electricity to the parliamentary complex, aiming to prompt the legislative body to address an outstanding debt of 23 million Ghanaian cedis (about $1.8 million).
Video footage circulated by local media captured the moment lawmakers found themselves in darkness within the parliamentary chamber after the power cut, prompting them to collectively chant “dumsor, dumsor,” meaning blackout in Twi, the local language.
According to William Boateng, the communications director of ECG, the decision to disconnect power was made after the parliament failed to respond to notices demanding payment.
This assertive measure comes amid Ghana’s power sector grappling with significant unpaid bills, resulting in an increase in electricity outages amidst ongoing tensions between the government and power generation companies.
Boateng clarified that disconnecting power to the parliament is a standard approach used by ECG to encourage customers with outstanding bills to settle their debts.
