IMANI Africa questions Yvonne Nelson’s commitment to tackling power crisis
Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson has reignited the call for action against the country’s ongoing power crisis, locally termed “dumsor,” by extending an invitation to policy think-tank IMANI Africa.
Advertisement
Her plea, however, has sparked a debate over accountability and consistency in addressing the issue.
In a social media post on Monday, April 22, Nelson expressed her frustration with the government’s handling of the power crisis. She directly reached out to IMANI Africa, urging them to organize another vigil similar to one held in 2015. The hashtag #DUMSORMUSTSTOP accompanied her plea, as she tagged Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Nelson’s motivation to contact IMANI directly stemmed from what she perceived as a lack of initiative from the think-tank. Despite previous successful collaborations, she felt that IMANI had not taken sufficient action to address the crisis. However, her call received mixed reactions from IMANI Africa.
Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, responded to Nelson’s post, emphasizing the organization’s ongoing efforts to hold the government accountable for the power crisis. Simons questioned Nelson’s consistency in amplifying IMANI’s work and accused her of overlooking their previous endeavors.
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?".
Meanwhile, Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, expressed openness to partnering with Nelson and others for a protest against the government’s handling of the persistent dumsor. He affirmed IMANI’s commitment to criticizing government decisions and stressed the need for coordinated action to address the power crisis.
Cudjoe posted on Facebook: "We have heard the call by the redoubtable Ms.Yvonne Nelson for round two of #dumsormuststop. Fair call even as we (IMANI) have maintained our criticism of government's bad decisions for what often seem like a rudderless leadership, the latest dumsor episodes being the zenith. So as you can see ( T-shirts), we are preparing and we will make the call and choose how we demonstrate and who we want to partner at the right time. Meanwhile, others can also organise their own unique protests in churches, mosques, bars, schools and homes .#DUMSORMUSTSTOP Kofi Bentil Selorm Branttie Bright Simons".
