Thousands Of Opposition Supporters Protest Power Shortages In Ghana

Several thousand opposition supporters marched through Ghana's capital
on Wednesday to protest against widespread power shortages seen as
harming the economy.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) which organised the rally, claims
President John Dramani Mahama's failure to boost electricity output
has crippled business in a country viewed as the rising star of West
Africa.

"We have a serious problem in this country," said Isaac Osei, an NPP
member of parliament who joined the rally.

(Photo: Supporters of Ghana's main opposition New Patriotic Party
(NPP) hold placards during a demonstration in Accra against the
worsening power crisis and economic challenges on February 18, 2015.
Ghana is facing economic challenges amid the worst blackouts in a
decade with the country's largest power producer lacking natural gas
to fuel its plants and the water level at the largest hydropower
facility near the minimum necessary to function. AFP PHOTO)

"Our people have come out fully to show this government that it is
time for them to fix the problem."
Osei told AFP that the rally was not just a partisan demonstration,
noting that business owners and labourers were also marching to show
the damage done to the economy by power cuts.

"We don't have light (electricity) to do our work," said Isaac Kwaku
Asante, who runs a barber shop in Accra. "If you go home, there is no
light to power your fridge."

Experts say power supply has been hampered by underperforming dams,
with output partly hurt by lower than normal rainfall last year.

The NPP has also criticised Mahama and his National Democratic
Congress (NDC) party for its wider failure to stabilise the economy,
hit by a weakening currency, high deficits and worsening debt.

Ghana is currently in talks with the International Monetary Fund for
an aid package, with negotiations set to wrap up in April.

The cedi currency has fallen 30 percent against the US dollar over the
last year and economists have urged Ghana to cut wasteful and
unproductive spending in areas like public administration.

Ghana began commercial oil production in 2010 and many hoped the
nascent sector would improve power supply while generating extra
government revenue for key infrastructure projects.

Production has hovered around 100,000 barrels per day from the
offshore Jubilee field but that figure is likely to rise with new
fields set to begin output next year.

The country, which is also a major exporter of cocoa and gold, became
an attractive target for foreign investment in part because of its
reputation as a beacon of democratic stability in turbulent West
Africa.

The opposition argued that Mahama has not done enough to maintain that momentum.

The NPP's Nana Akufo Addo narrowly lost to Mahama in December 2012
polls and has already announced plans to challenge the president again
in December next year.

"If (the NDC) can't fix the (electricity) problem, then they must give
way to another government which will take over and run the affairs of
this country," Osei said.