Who says the 24-hour economy can thrive in dumsor?

In his consuming desire to return to the Jubilee House, the NDC’s 2024 flagbearer, former President John Dramani Mahama, is briskly giving all sorts of richly interesting, albeit unachievable promises, among other things, a 24-hour economy.

But unbeknownst to the former president, the 24-hour economy is already in operation in Ghana.

Indeed, the 24-hour economy already exists in areas such as the media- radio and television, the transport sector, and some selected private businesses, among others.

The fact of the matter, however, is that the 24-hour economy is driven by demand and supply.

Suffice it to stress that no government can legislate or force business owners to operate in 24 hours.

And, even more so, businesses and industries need efficient electricity supply in order to operate effectively.

Yes, no business or industry can thrive in the midst of an erratic electricity supply(dumsor).

Apparently, businesses and industries did not blossom in the midst of inexpressible dumsor during the erstwhile Mahama administration.

Indeed, it would only take a disputatious character to venture to suggest that discerning Ghanaians have soon forgotten and forgiven the Mahama and NDC administration for wilfully keeping Ghanaians in darkness and collapsing businesses for well over four years.

In the 2013 World Bank’s Enterprise Survey on the African economy, with special emphasis on Nigeria and Ghana, the report concluded that ‘dumsor’ (erratic electricity supply) is the biggest obstacle to economic growth in Africa and a hindrance to businesses and industries (World Bank 2013).

In the days of dumsor under the Mahama administration, we witnessed the plangent buzzing of generators all over the country. Most businesses folded up amid massive unemployment.

In those days, self-employers like hairdressers, ice kenkey sellers, and butchers, among others, were the worst affected.

The revoltingly annoying and costly buzzing of generators across the length and breadth of the country, unfortunately, went on for well over four years to the utter dismay of the good people of Ghana.

Given the scale of dumsor under his watch, we can understand how and why some concerned Ghanaians, including some supporters within the NDC, have been expressing their arousing disgust over former President Mahama’s much-touted 24-hour economy.

It is extremely nauseating to keep hearing unrealistic promises from the same people every four years with the view to hoodwinking the unsuspecting voting public.

If you may remember, prior to the 2008 and 2012 general elections, Ex-President Mahama and the NDC gave a tall list of Manifesto promises, among other things, one-time NHIS premium, free SHS, ‘making dumsor a thing of the past, putting money in Ghanaian's pocket, creating more jobs for the jobless, stabilising the economy, protecting Ghanaians from the menaces of galamsey and Fulani herdsmen, bringing an end to dubious judgement debt payments, fighting the rampant bribery and corruption.

However, after giving all those richly interesting, albeit unrealistic promises with a view to deceiving the voting public for their mandate, the NDC government, led by former President Mahama, as expected, wilfully failed to honour the promises.

Consequently, a total of 55.6% (44.4% for Mahama) of the electorates rightly voted them out of power in 2016 and 51.2% retired Mahama in 2020.

Truly, there have been numerous NDC’s broken Manifesto promises in the past, but the one that will long be stencilled on discerning Ghanaians' mental sheets, is the one-time NHIS premium.

Unfortunately, the NDC’s campaign promise of a ‘Better Ghana Agenda’ fell flat. Ghanaians were disappointed once again by the NDC government.

If you would recall, during the 2012 and 2016 electioneering campaigns, former President Mahama and his apologists ridiculously kept trumpeting their vague rhetoric, political insobrieties and meaningless slogans-‘Mahama Tuaso’, ‘We care for you’, ‘people matter, you matter’, ‘we are transforming lives’.

Meanwhile, Ghanaians struggled endlessly to pay their utility bills and could not even afford their children's school fees.

Incredibly, back then, whenever the suffering Ghanaians complained about the economic hardships, former President Mahama and his clamorous communicators would ungraciously chastise the same people who gave them the electoral mandate.

Shockingly, the NDC’s ‘Babies with sharp teeth’ (as described by the late President Rawlings) would brashly insult every Ghanaian who would dare complain about the hardships.