The former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Ade-Coker, has vehemently defended former President John Dramani Mahama against accusations of causing the debilitating power crisis, popularly known as “Dumsor,” that plagued Ghana during his administration. Ade-Coker argues that Mahama inherited the crisis, a consequence of long-standing infrastructural deficiencies and a widening gap between power generation and the nation’s burgeoning energy needs. He portrays Mahama not as the architect of the crisis, but as a leader who inherited a complex problem and dedicated his tenure to finding solutions. Ade-Coker contends that blaming Mahama for Dumsor is a politically motivated misrepresentation of the facts and an attempt to discredit his substantial efforts to resolve the inherited challenge.
Ade-Coker traces the roots of the power crisis back to Ghana’s post-independence era. He points out that the country’s power generation capacity, primarily reliant on diesel-powered generators, was designed for a population of just over six million. However, over the decades, Ghana’s population experienced significant growth, while the corresponding investment in power infrastructure lagged considerably. This created a widening disparity between supply and demand, setting the stage for the chronic power shortages that would later become known as Dumsor. Ade-Coker asserts that successive governments failed to adequately address this growing imbalance, leading to the energy crisis that Mahama inherited upon assuming office in 2012. He argues that portraying Mahama as the cause of Dumsor ignores the historical context and decades of infrastructural neglect that contributed to the problem.
According to Ade-Coker, Mahama, upon taking office, prioritized resolving the power crisis. Recognizing the scale and complexity of the challenge, he embarked on an ambitious program to expand Ghana’s power generation capacity. This involved substantial investments in new power plants, transmission lines, and other critical infrastructure. Ade-Coker emphasizes that these projects required significant time and resources to implement, and that the challenges inherent in such large-scale undertakings were inevitable. He argues that the Dumsor experienced during Mahama’s tenure was a consequence of these ongoing efforts to fix the inherited problem, not a result of his inaction or mismanagement.
Ade-Coker criticizes Mahama’s political opponents for exploiting the Dumsor crisis for political gain. He accuses them of deliberately misleading the public into believing that Mahama was responsible for creating the problem, rather than acknowledging his efforts to solve it. He suggests that this narrative was a calculated political strategy designed to damage Mahama’s reputation and undermine his administration. Ade-Coker maintains that the focus should be on Mahama’s proactive approach to addressing the crisis, including his commitment to investing in long-term solutions to Ghana’s energy needs, rather than assigning blame for a problem with deep historical roots.
Ade-Coker contends that Mahama deserves recognition for his leadership and commitment to resolving the power crisis. He highlights the significant investments made in power infrastructure during Mahama’s presidency, arguing that these initiatives laid the foundation for a more stable and reliable energy supply for Ghana. He acknowledges the difficulties and frustrations experienced by Ghanaians during the Dumsor period but insists that Mahama’s efforts should be viewed within the context of inheriting a complex and long-standing problem. Ade-Coker portrays Mahama as a leader who, despite facing significant challenges, took decisive action to address the power crisis and put Ghana on a path toward energy security.
In summary, Ade-Coker’s defense of Mahama revolves around the argument that the Dumsor crisis was a legacy issue, not one of Mahama’s making. He emphasizes the historical context of Ghana’s power sector challenges, highlighting the long-standing gap between power generation and demand. He portrays Mahama as a leader who inherited this problem and dedicated his efforts to finding solutions, including significant investments in new power infrastructure. Ade-Coker criticizes Mahama’s political opponents for exploiting the Dumsor situation for political gain and misleading the public about the true causes of the crisis. He concludes by asserting that Mahama should be commended for his efforts to address a complex and challenging situation, rather than being unfairly blamed for its existence.
