Celebrities who have spoken out against ‘Dumsor’ in 2024

KSM, Yvonne Nelson and DKB

In 2015, Ghana suffered a severe case of rolling power outages across the country.

The situation, popularly known as ‘dumsor’, affected the lives and livelihoods of citizens, eventually resulting in a massive demonstration by citizens to express their displeasure.

The protest, called #DumsorMustStop, was led by actress Yvonne Nelson and took place in Accra in 2015.

Other celebrities including Prince David Osei, Van Vicker, DKB and many others took to the streets to show their displeasure.

Fast forward to 2024, and Ghana is dealing with another case of ‘dumsor’.

There have been calls for a new #dumsormuststop demonstration.

And all eyes are on celebrities and other influencers to have a leading voice in the coming demonstration.

While some remain silent on the issue, others have spoken out about the effects of ‘dumsor’ on their lives.

Here is a list of Ghanaian celebrities who have spoken out about the ‘dumsor’ situation.

Johannes Dumelo

Actor, farmer and politician John Dumelo has spoken out about the ‘dumsor’ situation. In a series of interviews he gave to TV3 while campaigning for the Ayawaso West Wuogon parliamentary seat, he has consistently criticized the government for not addressing and being transparent about the resurgence of power outages.

“Dumsor has come back, and you’re failing to let people know that Dumsor has come back because you simply don’t want to put out a timetable,” Dumelo said.

Dumelo claimed that the problem was resolved during John Mahama’s presidency in 2016 and called on the government to acknowledge the problem and release a schedule to help Ghanaians manage their daily activities and affairs.

Guy Makafui

Ghanaian actress and philanthropist Fella Makafui, speaking to the United Showbiz programme, noted the severity of the ‘dumsor’ phenomenon but suggested that the government could ease public tension over the recent power outages by releasing a timetable for load shedding to give.

“I think what will help is the publication of a timetable that will allow us to know the areas that will be affected (by the power outage) at certain times,” she said.

This, she said, would enable Ghanaians to plan their activities around the power outages and also reduce the clamor for protests against the erratic power supply.

However, when asked, Makafui promised not to participate in demonstrations.

KSM

Veteran comedian Kwaku Sintim-Misa has spoken out on social and political issues in the country.

In a long video published on YouTube, the KSM show host accused the government of refusing to release a timetable for the load shedding because she wanted to prove that its dumsor was better than that of the previous government.

‘Do you know why there is no schedule? Because there was dussor under the NDC; they wanted to prove that their dumsor was better than the NDC’s dumsor, which is why they don’t want to release one,” he alleged.

DKB

Another outspoken comedian, Derrick Kobina Bonney (DKB), has also spoken out about the problems in the country.

In a heated social media post in April 2024, the comedian expressed his frustration over the country’s economic woes and frequent power outages, known as ‘dumsor’, on social media.

He added that expressing his views on these issues could lead to him being taken into police custody.

“You haven’t seen my tweets lately because Chale, the way the bad economy and the dumsor dey annoy me every day when I start tweeting, I end up in the corner (behind bars). Who else feels the same?” he posted.

Yvonne Nelson

After a successful demonstration in 2015, famous actress Yvonne Nelson is rallying support for a new protest against the recurring ‘dumsor’ situation.

In a recent press release, she called for unity and action to tackle the recurring ‘dumsor’. She added that the fight against ‘dumsor’ transcends politics and requires national cooperation.

She reached out to former allies and the public to organize another vigil, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts in this endeavor.

“It is disheartening to witness the return of Dumsor, casting a shadow on our progress and development as a nation. I never thought we would find ourselves in this situation again, and the fact that it continues for a long period of time is truly alarming.

“In light of these disturbing developments, I took to social media to contact Imani Ghana, who supported the initial #DumsorMustStop campaign, to explore the possibility of organizing another vigil. We must come together again to demand accountability and action from our leaders,” parts of her statement read.

ID/KOD

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