Join me in another ‘dumsor’ vigil, I can’t do it alone – Yvonne Nelson to Ghanaians

Actress Yvonne Nelson has rallied Ghanaians to unite once again for a 'dumsor must stop’ vigil to express their dissatisfaction with Akufo-Addo's government regarding the ongoing power outages plaguing the nation.

In a statement released on Tuesday, April 30, 2023, Ms Nelson expressed her dismay at the resurgence of such a debilitating issue, especially for an extended period.

She emphasized the importance of collective action, stating, "Together, we can amplify our voices and urge our leaders to prioritise the needs of the Ghanaian people."

Ms Nelson extended an invitation to concerned citizens to join her in organising the vigil, emphasizing the power of unity in effecting change.

The actress “appealed to lawyers, volunteers and concerned citizens to contribute their expertise and support in planning and executing this event because Yvonne Nelson can’t do it alone”.

The actress last week invited policy think tank IMANI Africa to join her organise a protest against the Akufo-Addo-led government regarding the ongoing erratic power supply.

The call came amidst recent intermittent power outages, prompting demands from many Ghanaians for a load-shedding timetable from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

In a post on X on Monday, 22 April 2024, Ms. Nelson expressed her anticipation for IMANI's involvement in the vigil, reminiscent of the organisation's participation in a similar event in 2015.

She criticised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing them of taking the country for granted and emphasising that such neglect should not be tolerated any longer.

Ms. Nelson wrote: "Imani Ghana, can we organise another vigil? I've been waiting for you to reach out like you did years back. (your team made our demo a success) I'm reaching out myself. The NPP and its leadership @NAkufoAddo have taken Ghanaians for granted."

But IMANI Africa's President, Franklin Cudjoe, reaffirmed the think tank's stance against yielding to pressure to stage a protest against government concerning the ongoing power outages, known as dumsor.

This followed actress Yvonne Nelson's call for the think tank to collaborate with her in organising another protest, reminiscent of the one held in 2015.

Reacting to Ms Nelson’s call, however, Mr Cudjoe emphasised that IMANI Africa would carry out their protest on their own terms.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, 23 April 2024, Mr Cudjoe disclosed IMANI's preparedness to rally against the persistent dumsor crisis.

He stated: “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.”

Mr Cudjoe also extended an invitation to individuals who share their grievances to organise their own demonstrations.

“Meanwhile, others can also organise their own unique protests in churches, mosques, bars, schools and home. #DUMSORMUSTSTOP Kofi Bentil Selorm Branttie Bright Simons,” Mr Cudjoe wrote.

— classfmonline