Ghana’s state-run electricity provider, ECG, took the drastic step of briefly cutting off power to the parliament building, aiming to pressure lawmakers into settling a 23 million Ghanaian cedi ($1.8 million) debt.
The move came after the legislature failed to respond to repeated demands for payment, according to ECG’s spokesperson, William Boateng.
In a striking scene captured on video and shared by local media, Ghanaian lawmakers found themselves in darkness inside the parliamentary chamber following the sudden power cut. The blackout prompted legislators to chant “dumsor, dumsor,” expressing frustration with the recurrent power outages in the country’s local Twi language.
Boateng clarified that cutting off electricity to the parliament building aligns with ECG’s standard practice of encouraging delinquent customers to settle their outstanding debts.
Source: Reuters