<<Print>>

For the umpteenth time, Accra especially was hit with a debilitating Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shortage. Many households and motorists spent hours searching for the energy source to no avail and where there was little supply, the queues were long and winding. Many had to return to the basics of using charcoal to cook, a practice which a government policy had sought to reduce to the dustbin of history, given its negative impact on our already depleted forest cover. Many complained plaintively about what they saw as a policy gone wrong on the part of government, given the frequent shortage of the commodity. Although we are told that the situation has been reversed, with the arrival of a certain quantity of the commodity, we are not excited about the development. Being a kneejerk reaction, we are convinced it would not be long before we return to the sight of the winding long queues at LPG filling points. We have been there before. Observers of the local energy scene have complained about the use of the government-subsidized LPG by automobiles when the commodity is largely intended to satisfy the needs of households. Be that as it may, state players responsible for managing such scarce commodities which are imported into the country can resort to better ways of doing their work to obviate the frustrating situations. We regret being political when looking at critical matters concerning the lives of the people. This is because these matters fall within the purview of the government. After all, political parties are voted into power based on the promises they made to make life comfortable for the people among other considerations. Whether we like it or not, the success or otherwise of a government is measured by how much the needs of the people are met by the state. With electricity supply also in its most erratic state, the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian has not been any better in the last two years. We have had enough of the insults-laden excuses about why we are not having regular supply of electricity and LPG, by the government propaganda machinery, each time we suffer one of the bouts of shortages or outages. Considering the pledge that with an increase in tariffs for utilities, we can be assured of improved supply of electricity, the excuses do not sound convincing. Nobody can doubt the fact that things have rather worsened, with many cynics wondering whether we rather agreed to an increase in the cost of electricity to ensure irregular power supply. In a country where the legal system is such that consumers cannot stand the hassle of the court procedures, the utility providers can get away with their shoddy work with no action from cheated consumers. Shoddy governance and irregular supply of electricity and LPG are weighing too much on the citizenry. Any hope?