A sharp and policy-driven discussion is set to unfold this weekend as "Prime Insight" returns with a strong panel to dissect two of Ghana’s most pressing national issues: persistent power challenges and the implications of the Bank of Ghana’s reported financial losses. The program, airing on Joy Prime on Saturday, May 2, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., will be hosted by Blessed Sogah. It is expected to bring together legal, political, and economic perspectives in a robust studio conversation, featuring a cross-section of political communicators and policy experts, including Hamza Suhuyini, Awal Mohammed, Lom Nuku Ahlijah, and Solomon Owusu, ensuring a balanced and in-depth analysis of both economic and energy sector challenges.

Top on the agenda is the ongoing debate around Ghana’s energy sector, particularly concerns that although the Akosombo Dam has stabilized, intermittent power outages, commonly referred to as dumsor, continue to affect homes and businesses. The discussion will probe whether the challenge lies in generation, distribution, or deeper structural inefficiencies within the power sector. Lawyer and Senior Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has criticized authorities over what he describes as “insincere” communication regarding these persistent power outages. He stated on Newsfile that the country’s energy challenges are not solely technical but are compounded by poor and unreliable public communication, noting the energy sector remains highly sensitive and inherently political. Bentil argued that decision-making is often influenced by competing interests and financial incentives, leading to political interference rather than a lack of expertise, despite the proven technical competence of engineers at the Volta River Authority (VRA). He called for a “rational consensus” on national energy issues, stressing that a unified and depoliticized approach would prioritize long-term national interest and could reduce prolonged outages to not exceed 48 hours.

Executive Director of the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Ben Boakye, further described the fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) substation near Akosombo as a preventable incident, blaming long-standing negligence and weak accountability. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, he emphasized that the incident should never have occurred, given the age and importance of the 1960s-era infrastructure, where generation assets have seen upgrades but critical transmission components like switchyards have been neglected. Boakye contrasted this with newer substations equipped with modern safety systems like thermal cameras and automated fire suppression. He also warned that Ghana will continue to experience intermittent power outages because the country’s electricity system is not robust enough to guarantee stable supply, reflecting deep structural weaknesses in generation and distribution. He clarified that transformer replacements often involve upgrading units when demand exceeds capacity, rather than simply replacing “dead” ones, and questioned the transparency around these procurements. He reiterated that a lack of accountability in the energy sector leads to avoidable inefficiencies and significant financial losses for the country.

The Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu and Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, offered a different perspective, stating that Ghana’s power supply has seen significant improvement since 2025 compared to 2024. Speaking on Newsfile, Mr. Jinapor cited available data showing a marked reduction in power outages, stressing, “When you look at the 2024 data against 2025, there is a remarkable improvement. This is data, not opinion, these are facts.” He acknowledged that challenges remain, attributing intermittent outages in some communities to localized faults and ageing, overloaded transformers within the electricity distribution system. Jinapor explained that the government initiated a program to upgrade and replace these faulty components, appealing to Ghanaians for patience as this gradual process to address approximately 83,000 transformers nationwide unfolds. He further highlighted progress in ensuring independent power producers receive full payments under the cash waterfall mechanism and announced the installation of over 2,500 new transformers. He explicitly stated, “They are new ones procured under the leadership of His Excellency President Mahama and Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson to fix the electricity system,” and assured the public of the energy situation’s stability.

However, Hamza Suhuyini, a member of the NDC Communication Team, argued on Prime Insight that Kumasi would have experienced severe power outages throughout 2024 without investments made under the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, particularly the Ameri power plant. He accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of overstating its achievements while relying on infrastructure developed during the NDC era and of mismanaging funds from the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA), which was introduced to address liquidity challenges. Suhuyini maintained that current power challenges should be traced to