The Minority has raised concerns about the government’s handling of the ongoing power outages, popularly referred to as “dumsor,” and highlighted issues in the country’s petroleum sector, which they say have been mishandled under the leadership of President Mahama
During the press conference on Monday, March 3, 2025, Dr. Amin Adams expressed his dissatisfaction with the President’s failure to resolve the power crisis, noting that the promises made during the President’s recent national address were eerily similar to those made during his previous tenure, particularly between 2011 and 2016.
“Mr. President, you did not fix ‘dumsor’ as you claimed in your address,” Dr. Amin Adams stated. “Your record on ‘dumsor’ is abysmal, unlike your predecessor, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who kept the lights on.”
Dr. Amin Adams went on to emphasize the growing frustration of the Ghanaian public, particularly small business owners who are directly impacted by the erratic power supply. “Businesses like hair salons, welders, dressmakers, and many more are bearing the brunt of these power outages,” he said. “Many people have already felt the pinch, and we are seeing the return of generators in shops, clinics, and even at social events.”
The Minority called on the government to take immediate steps to mitigate the impact of these power disruptions. Dr. Amin Adams urged the government to publish a clear load-shedding timetable, so that businesses and individuals can plan accordingly. “We, the Mighty Minority, call on the government to publish a load-shedding timetable to help people and businesses plan effectively and offset some of the losses the economy is currently suffering from,” he said.
The press conference also focused on the challenges in the petroleum sector, which Dr. Amin Adams attributed to the signing of poor contracts by the Mahama administration.
According to Dr. Amin Adams, the previous government’s decision to sign contracts with 13 companies, many of which lacked technical and financial capacity, has led to a decline in crude oil production.
“Production of crude oil has declined because President Mahama signed contracts with companies that had neither the technical nor financial capacity to undertake oil activities,” Dr. Amin Adams said. “However, the Akufo-Addo administration introduced measures for aggressive reserve replacement when they assumed office in 2017. As a result, between 2018 and 2022, seven oil and gas discoveries were made, including significant finds such as Nyankom-1X and Afina-1X.”
He highlighted some of these important discoveries:
- Pecan South-East: An estimated 10 million barrels of oil discovered in 2018.
- Nyankom-1X: An estimated 168 million barrels of oil discovered in 2019.
- Afina-1X: Between 150-300 million barrels of oil discovered in 2019.
- Akoma 1-X: An estimated 500-700 million barrels of oil discovered in 2022.
- Aprokuma-1X: Discovered in 2022, with estimated volumes yet to be determined.
Dr. Amin Adams noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed down operations, affecting the appraisal of these discoveries. However, he also acknowledged the government’s efforts to incentivize these companies by restoring lost time and making amendments to existing frameworks.
Despite the Minority’s criticism, Dr. Amin Adams defended the measures taken by the Akufo-Addo administration in supporting the oil industry, saying, “The NPP government could not be accused of creating a hostile business climate or excessive political interference, as suggested by President Mahama.” He also pointed to the addition of Jubilee South-East in September 2023, which contributed an additional 30,000 barrels of oil per day to the country’s production, bringing the total output from the Jubilee Field to 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
Dr. Amin Adams concluded the press conference by reiterating the Minority’s call for greater accountability from the current government. He said, “Ghanaians deserve more than just promises; they need action.
The energy and petroleum sectors are vital to our country’s economic recovery, and it is crucial that the government addresses these issues with urgency and transparency.”
