Tons of Ghanaians have flooded the streets of Accra on Saturday 8 June in a peaceful protest against power outages affecting businesses and daily life across the West African nation.
Appearing in red and black, with leaders in red berets, demonstrators marched through the capital, calling on the government to address challenges bedeviling the power sector.
Chanting patriotic songs and carrying kerosene-powered lanterns to show their displeasure, the crowd caused traffic gridlock on the highway.
Despite being one of the first African countries to advance electrification aggressively, Ghana suffers from acute power shortages and struggles to expand capacity to meet growing demand.
It was gathered that 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 stated.
Meanwhile, also joining the protest, Ghanaian comedian DKB told journalists: “These unannounced power outages are killing our craft. We need stable electricity to thrive.
On her part, a shop owner identified as 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.
The ton of protesters blamed 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.
A local barber, Kwame Danso decried the loss of business as a result of 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.”
