Due to the fact that in many African countries like Ghana, electricity demand exceeds supply, rolling blackout is not uncommon. This is referred to as “Dumsor” meaning "off and on" in Twi (one of the Ghanaian dialects). In periods when this happens, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is responsible for rationing electricity. This rationing allows some parts of the country to have electricity and leaves other areas without electricity at set times of the day or the week. Prior to this rationing, the ECG sends out a schedule to alert the populace of the set times. This research article is about a study conducted by Aidoo & Briggs (2019) to ascertain whether the ECG followed the schedule they published. Results of this research showed that the ECG did not follow the schedule of equal cuts, and poorer neighborhoods had lesser electrification times and less reliable electricity with regards to those that are actually connected to the electrical grid. Richer people who could actually afford generators and other backup power sources rather had longer hours of reliable electricity.
The essence of energy for basic life sustenance cannot be overemphasized, as such the poor need access to energy services just like the rich do. Public service organizations like the ECG are called to serve "all" and this study exposes the inconsistencies in their operations. In my opinion, treating energy as a right and not a priviledge as proposed by Gillard et al. (2017) is the way to solve this menace.
Source
Aidoo, K., & Briggs, R. C. (2019). Underpowered: Rolling blackouts in Africa disproportionately hurt the poor. African Studies Review, 62(3), 112-131. Retrieved from:
Kobina Aidoo and Ryan C. Briggs, "UNDERPOWERED: ROLLING BLACKOUTS IN AFRICA DISPROPORTIONATELY HURTS THE POOR ", contributed by Barbara Ackun, The Energy Rights Project, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 10 June 2020, accessed 26 April 2024. https://energyrights.info/content/underpowered-rolling-blackouts-africa-disproportionately-hurts-poor
Critical Commentary
Due to the fact that in many African countries like Ghana, electricity demand exceeds supply, rolling blackout is not uncommon. This is referred to as “Dumsor” meaning "off and on" in Twi (one of the Ghanaian dialects). In periods when this happens, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is responsible for rationing electricity. This rationing allows some parts of the country to have electricity and leaves other areas without electricity at set times of the day or the week. Prior to this rationing, the ECG sends out a schedule to alert the populace of the set times. This research article is about a study conducted by Aidoo & Briggs (2019) to ascertain whether the ECG followed the schedule they published. Results of this research showed that the ECG did not follow the schedule of equal cuts, and poorer neighborhoods had lesser electrification times and less reliable electricity with regards to those that are actually connected to the electrical grid. Richer people who could actually afford generators and other backup power sources rather had longer hours of reliable electricity.
The essence of energy for basic life sustenance cannot be overemphasized, as such the poor need access to energy services just like the rich do. Public service organizations like the ECG are called to serve "all" and this study exposes the inconsistencies in their operations. In my opinion, treating energy as a right and not a priviledge as proposed by Gillard et al. (2017) is the way to solve this menace.