Ghana's parliament plunged into darkness over $1.8m electricity debt

By Enoch Fiifi Forson

ACCRA, Ghana (AA) - Ghana's parliament experienced a power outage on Thursday during a debate on the President's State of the Nation Address.

The outage was caused by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) cutting off power supply over a $1.8 million debt.

According to ECG, the company's task force executed the disconnection after the House failed to settle the arrears despite receiving several demand notices.

The power outage also affected the office complex for Members of Parliament, with some lawmakers getting stuck in elevators.

The incident comes at a time when many Ghanaians are complaining of erratic power supply. The Minority had earlier described the recent power outages as a sign of a looming crisis in the country's power sector.

The power was later restored after the parliament paid $1 million of the debt and promised to settle the remaining amount within a week. This move was seen as a temporary solution to the problem, and Ghanaians continue to call for a lasting solution to the country's power challenges.

The reaction from Ghanaians was mixed, with some seeing it as a national day of shame and others happy that lawmakers were experiencing the same blackouts they have been facing for weeks.