28 Aug 2006 (first major Load-Management in Accra); 28 Aug, 2012...West Africa Gas Pipeline Shuts down?

I am no conspiracy theorist, but if I were a numbers man, I would find this terribly coincidental.

First: 28 August, 2006, I post this on this blog:

"Ghana is, in effect, a hydro-dependent state, predicating its energy survival on rainfall into the dam that is generated into electricity. Currently, we supply electricity to some of our West African neighbours of Togo and Benin, whilst buying some of it from Cote d'Ivoire (according to engineer who spoke on the Accra-based English-speaking private radio station CITI 97.3FM) this morning.
However, as from 28 August--yesterday--the country has been compelled to undergo what Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Volta Regional Authority (VRA) [that supervises/manages the distribution of electricity in the country's Eastern Region] call "National Shedding" Programme.
Although it is expected that rains will fall in the country, the rainfall expected this cool season (July-October) has been very little as compared to the earlier months, where there were thunderstorms almost twice a week in the country (April-June)
The equation is: no rain = no electricity. Therefore, by putting domestic consumers on this "load management" programme, where the capital--divided into six zones--will experience electricity black-outs from 6am-6pm, and 6pm-6am respectively every other third day, energy will be saved for the next fifteen days.-- from: http://accradailyphoto.blogspot.com/2006/08/this-gargantuan-dam-provides-ghana.html

Four years later, the West Africa Gas Pipeline (which sends gas to Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo) posts this on its website:

Ghana, Accra, (August 28, 2012) - The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) operator of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) system has shut down the pipeline system after experiencing a loss of pressure around the Lome segment of the pipeline this morning.

WAPCo has subsequently stopped all gas deliveries to its onshore stations and is working closely with the government agencies and other relevant organisations to investigate the cause of loss of pressure and to ensure safety while rectifying the situation.
For further information please contact:
Mrs. Harriet Wereko-Brobby
General Manager, Corporate Affairs
Telephone: +233 244  334 510
Email: hwerekobrobby@wagpco.comWebsite: www.wagpco.com 

While I leave the mind to boggle in peace, allow me to remind those in Ghana currently experiencing the load-shedding to avail themselves to the number in the picture I captured of our daily this morning.

Whatever we may think about the National Load Shedding, at least we have an idea WHEN it will be off--even if "being off" can go off on its own tangent, if you see what I mean!

Keep safe!

Have you Paid your (Ghana) Electricity and Water yet?

Ok, so complaints abound about the Electricity of Ghana (ECG) for the indiscriminate manner in which it can, despite schedules of load-shedding in the dailies, switch off our electricity.

I like the fact that on their website (http://www.ecgonline.info/ecgweb/), they have the number which you can call when the lights call off. It's, erm, their call-centre. What I don't quite get is why the number is still not a toll-free number when there are banks in this country which enable you to call their call-centre 24/7 for free on, say, Vodafone!

My policy is this: never mind the fact that ECG is switching lights off at specific periods--so that they can guarantee regular electricity, payment of my electricity bills (mostly paid in advance as most Ghanaians seem to be on pre-paid) are what will give me  the voice to complain when they switch my lights off!

Electricity Pylons Galore!

Many apologies for the absence--in fact, next week promises to provide a dry-spell in blogging as I will be away till the 26th of May--but too many meetings have inhibited desire and ability to blog.

Here's one for good measure--electricty pylons around East Legon area. Just to show that it works!;-)

Soul Food: Akosombo Dreaming!

This picture of serenity is not without a context: my "disappearance" from this blog has a lot to do with having very little time to access a computer to upload pictures. Although I hinted at it before I left last week, I was not as explicit in stating that a combination of heightened tensions surrounding Ghana's elections (more because of anxiety for all the ads to be over, and many discussions on Facebook over the outcome!) and a needed desire to wrap things up for the year--coupled with our regular annual retreat from Accra have all contributed to the absence.

Akosombo is no stranger to this blog; last time we were there was in January 2006. The next couple of days, I'll be bringing fresher pictures of Akosombo, located in the Eastern region of Ghana. In the meantime, I appreciate your indulgence of the absence. Am back with a bang before Christmas! Will be doing my lap of honours soon--not without a Friday 5 December break, which will be a celebration of Ghana's Farmer's Day and Monday 8 December that will be a local public holiday!

Thank you!

When Electricity is Pre-Paid...

It would be wrong to assume that the majority of Ghanaian consumers are using pre-paid, but it is safe to say that after the electricity load shedding that started in August 2006, there was plenty talk to make it a nation-wide affair--especially in ministries, where there is tremendous waste when it is post-paid.

Happy World Environment Day! (apologies for the three-day absence!)

Marketwoman Displays her Yams for Sale

This is a scene right out of the market near Tema station, where a number of Ghanaian workers head to in travelling outside the centre of Accra. It is also located some minutes before the Tudu branch of the Electricity Company of Ghana.

Taken in isolation, you would be hard-pressed believing that the market behind this marketwoman could be located so close to the centre of town. You would be wrong. To some, that is the bane of Accra (human traffic); to foreigners and other Ghanaians alike, that is the beauty of this small, West African country.

Generators in Accra no More?

For the past two weeks, many parts of Accra has been enjoying many days without interruption of electricity. This contrasts starkly with personal anecdotes last year which run like this:

Accra is in the Dark Ages.

Ever since the load-shedding started, the country’s electricity provider ECG, has decided to ride on the back of the "load management programme" by continuing to deliver increasingly execrable service.

Yesterday, on an evening that was not supposed to experience load-shedding at 6pm, the lights went out, eliciting a collective sigh of resignation and frustration all-rolled-in-one. Calls were made, and it transpired that there was "a fault" in one of the stations near the motorway of Tema. Later, I found out that it wasn’t quite near the motorway, but somewhere around Tema. Not to mention the lack of consistency in the lies (you don’t even know where the genesis of the so-called fault is?) but to buttress all that is the frustration associated with feeling the lights will come on soon when you call, only to find out that the problem has not finished being worked on!
from: http://ekbensahinghana.blogspot.com/2006/10/darkness-falls-in-accra-1.html

This generator outside is reminiscent of many scenes all over the capital up until some two weeks ago. I can say with certainty that last night, the electricity was suposed to go off. Pleasurably, it did not.

Normality in the offing?

Ghana's Electricity Crisis: Some Relief?

Many apologies for not having been able to post on Friday, but -- yet again -- we got a case of sporadic reception of broadband internet:-(

Either way, I'll definitely do my best to provide some more pictures throughout the day to make up for those two days.

This picture here is nothing exotic: a mere capture of the front of country's Daily Graphic of last week's edition, when the nation was informed that the country will experience no black-outs on the scale of this, when the load management programme for the nation to conserev energy began, back in August 2006.

So far, apart from a short "brownout" yesterday where I live, it's been pretty consistent. Fingers crossed!

Countdown is less than 24hours for our Jubilee!!!