After a long day
at work, I left for home with my mind focused on the comfort of my bed. It was
all I craved. As usual the vehicular traffic was moving at a tortoise pace, if
I could say that. The Kwame Nkrumah Circle-Achimota road has been upgraded to
dual carriageway, yet traffic is mostly unbearable during rush hours.
The journey that could have taken less than 25 minutes with normal
traffic is now getting to two solid hours. We normally complain of low
productivity among workers when most people get to work already exhausted from
the traffic congestions.
Anyway, so I managed to get home worn out, and took a shower. There was
nothing standing between me and my bed. I hopped into my bed almost
simultaneously my lights went out. I have been “dumsored”. I lost every trace
of drowsiness. Not again, I exclaimed.
What started as an emergency load shedding exercise has become one of our
virtual national symbols. The energy situation has so much deteriorated that
one feel privileged when ECG forewarns consumers of when lights will go off.
The heads of the major players in the energy sector be it ECG, GRIDCO,
VRA et al were all appointed by government hence the tendency to conceal the
real truth about the crisis. There have been many times that the Energy
Ministry had stopped the ECG in its tracks in attempt to announce load-shedding
schedules.
At times when the pressure becomes unbearable, the ECG is requested to
run their prepared scheduled by the Ministry for approval. But many a time the
government forgets that such pre-medieval governance tactics won’t bring lights
to our home or to our ailing factories.
Sometimes when the lights go out the rains come to our aid to save us
from being drowned in our sweat while asleep. But that night was not to be as
the weather was so bright not giving any hint of showers. It was to be one of
those long nights that you have to find a way of fanning yourself to sleep.
Our problem is not only with our leadership, but the citizens as well. We
have been docile for far too long. In this country most people don’t vote on
issues, but tribal lines and other trivialities yet expect the leadership to
come out good. Interesting!
Rather on focusing on pertinent issues of national interest, our
politicians dwell on insults and smear campaign against opponents and the
electorate gets carried away without questioning the feasibility of promises
listed in parties’ manifestos.
It’s only after the opulence, which usually characterises an election
year, is over that the electorate begin to feel the essence of their polls. I
usually tell people who want a revolution, whether the French or Arab type,
that we can never have our cake and eat it.
We are better-off in our hardships than a so-called revolution of which
any country has not come any better in recent history.
As I lay on my sweat-drenched bed sheet, events of 1998 played on my
mind. That was my immediate recollection of load-shedding exercise coinciding
with the World Cup. The effect was not severe during that time because Ghana
was not involved.
But that is threatening to change.
Ghanaians are passionate about football and their Black Stars, no doubt.
I hate to be the bearer of this sad news, but some people will be denied of
watching the Stars play in Brazil due to scheduled power outages.
Alas! The only thing that makes us happy is being taken from us. The
seriousness of this situation is being underestimated. What can we get right in
this country?
To start with, our leadership must start telling us the truth about the
energy situation. We need to know, after all if they can’t tell us the truth,
which is the least they can do, then we have no hope expecting them to solve
the crises.
When you say a prayer, say one for the ECG! You may never know when they
will spare you a game or two during the World Cup.
Happy Weekend!
I’m out!
First published on 30 May, 2014
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