“Ɛy3 Zu, ƐyƐ Za” – NPP’s Kwadwo Nsafoa Poku Mocks NDC’s Handling of Dumsor

Kwadwo Nsafoa Poku, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a flagbearer aspirant, has sharply criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over the current state of Ghana’s energy sector.

Speaking on the Ghana Se Sen Show on Lawson TV Radio, Mr. Poku expressed disappointment but claimed vindication regarding concerns he has raised about the power sector since 2012.

According to Mr. Poku, the recent resurgence of intermittent power outages, popularly known as dumsor, is not due to financial constraints, as has been claimed in the past, but due to technical mismanagement.

“Anytime your power goes off, it is technical, not financial,” he emphasized.

He argued that the NDC administration is failing to communicate the true nature of the issues, instead allowing political narratives to obscure the real, technical challenges facing the energy sector.

Mr. Poku revealed that from January to date, the government has spent about $300 million on fuel purchases. Despite this expenditure, power shortages continue.

He recalled that on the day of the inauguration of the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, the minister himself reportedly complained that the country had only three days’ supply of fuel — despite receiving full funding to make purchases.

“John Jinapor should sit and manage the sector,” Poku said, criticizing the minister for what he described as inadequate oversight. “There are so many things involved, and if one thing fails, the power will go off. This is a very technical area.”

He added that the NDC has failed to explain that many of the power outages are due to localized technical faults rather than national fuel shortages.

“They are not explaining it well, and it has vindicated my statements made years ago about how fragile the system is,” he said.

Taking a swipe at recent government communication, Poku remarked, “Now, if your lights go off, 3y3 Zu, 3y3 Za,” using popular expressions to highlight confusion and lack of accountability.

He further noted that the sector cannot be run “by mouth and money alone.” “You can be given all the money, but if you can’t manage it, the system will still fail,” he said, pointing to what he sees as mismanagement under the NDC leadership.

On the economic side, Mr. Poku criticized Finance Minister Ato Forson for increasing gas prices in an effort to ensure cost recovery, as stated in the Mid-Year Budget.

He alleged that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), when doing its budget planning, ignored the minister’s directive for political reasons. “Because of politics, PURC didn’t add it,” he claimed.

He warned Ghanaians to brace themselves, as per the current budget, another major electricity tariff increment is expected in the fourth quarter of the year.