Yvonne Nelson calls for protest against ‘dumsor’

Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson has called on policy think tank IMANI Africa to collaborate on a protest against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government regarding intermittent power outages in the country, known as ‘dumsor’.

It will be recalled that in 2015, Yvonne Nelson and some Ghanaian celebrities staged a protest against former President John Mahama and the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) during a time when the nation was battling inconsistency in power supply.

During the protest, IMANI Ghana played a critical role by voicing out the negative impact of the power crises on businesses and other sectors.

The protest, spearheaded by Yvonne Nelson, was dubbed #DumsorMustStop.

Yvonne Nelson, in a statement on X on Monday, April 22, 2024, noted that she was awaiting IMANI’s invitation to join the vigil, reminiscent of their collaboration in 2015.

“IMANI Ghana, can we mobilise another vigil? I’ve been anticipating your outreach, just as you did years ago (your team greatly contributed to the success of our demonstration). I’m extending my own outreach. The NPP and its leadership, including @NAkufoAddo, have disregarded the concerns of Ghanaians. DUMSORMUSTSTOP,” she remarked.

Imani Ghana, can we organize another vigil? Ive been waiting for you to reach out like you did years back. ( your team made our demo a success ) Im reaching out myself. The NPP and its leadership @NAkufoAddo have taken Ghanaians for granted . #DUMSORMUSTSTOP

— 𝓨𝓿𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮 𝓝𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓸𝓷 (@yvonnenelsongh) April 22, 2024

Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, responded to Yvonne Nelson’s post, emphasising the organisation’s ongoing efforts to hold the government accountable for the power crisis.

Mr Simons questioned Nelson’s consistency in amplifying IMANI’s work and accused her of overlooking their previous endeavours.

He tweeted: “We’ve been chasing ECG, pursuing CWM matters, fighting over gas value chain issues (a la Genser), probing power tariff proposals, highlighting IPP debt buildup etc etc. I’m afraid I’ve never seen Ms. Nelson amplify any of that work. Ever. Not even a retweet. Now, why is that?”.

We’ve been chasing ECG, pursuing CWM matters, fighting over gas value chain issues (a la Genser), probing power tariff proposals, highlighting IPP debt buildup etc etc. I’m afraid I’ve never seen Ms. Nelson amplify any of that work. Ever. Not even a retweet. Now, why is that? 🤷🏾‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/o9absAKtLA

— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) April 23, 2024

Meanwhile, Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, has expressed commitment to accountability, stressing the need for coordinated action to address the power crisis.