Fuel Shortage Sparks Dumsor Alert: Jinapor Warns of Looming Power Crisis
MP warns of extended power outages as Ghana faces dangerously low fuel reserves
- Ghana has only five hours of fuel stock remaining
- The previous administration failed to secure fuel orders
- John Jinapor warns of prolonged power cuts unless immediate action is taken to address the crisis
John Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, has sounded an alarm over an imminent power crisis, widely known as ‘dumsor,’ due to a critical fuel shortage.
Speaking after President John Dramani Mahama’s inauguration in Accra on January 7, 2024, Jinapor revealed the nation’s fuel reserves are dangerously low, with only five hours’ worth of supply remaining.
“I have bad news for you. The confirmation we are getting is that we have only five hours of fuel stock. For heavy fuel oil and diesel fuel, we don’t even have two days’ worth. In two days’ time, we are likely to run out of fuel,” Jinapor disclosed.
He criticized the outgoing administration for neglecting to secure adequate fuel supplies, leaving the incoming government in a precarious position. According to him, it typically takes about eight weeks to procure and process fuel stocks, meaning prolonged outages are inevitable unless urgent action is taken.
During the transition, assurances were made about fuel procurement, but Jinapor’s checks reveal there isn’t enough fuel to last even two days.
“Today, after President Mahama assumed office and I served on the transition team, my checks indicate that we do not have fuel that can cater for even two days. Clearly, we have a major, major problem,” he emphasized.
Jinapor urged immediate measures to avert a full-blown crisis, warning that the country is headed for “real trouble” if swift actions are not taken.
