The worsening energy crisis popularly known in Ghanaian parlance as “dumsor” has been added to the free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Additionally, there are at least four Applications at the Google Play Store on Android phones about “dumsor”. A direct translation of the Akan term “dumsor” is “switch on and off”, and it is generally used to describe the current unstable power supply in Ghana.
But Wikipedia explained “dumsor” as “a Drama Ghanaian term used to describe the state of electrical power shedding by the Ghana Grid Company and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Ghana.”
It stated further that “the term gained prominence during the term of President John Mahama due to his abysmal handling of the nation’s power problems. Dumsor is formed from two Twi words ‘Dum’ and ‘sor’ meaning ‘off’ and ‘on’ respectively.”
The word has been used by the general public in expressing anger and disappointment in authorities’ poor handling of power supply in the country. It has also gained popularity via social media websites such asTwitter and Facebook.
On Google Play Store there are at least four applications related to “dumsor” alone. The four are “Dumsor” and “DumSor Flashlight” which are flashlight/torchlight Apps while “Dumsor Dumsor” and “Dumsor Countdown” are power rationing timetable Apps.
In 2015, John Mahama used the word in a state visit to Germany while talking with Angela Merkel, he indicated he has been nicknamed “Mr. Dumsor” due to the power crisis, where he blamed Nigeria for not supplying natural gas as required to Ghana through the West Africa Gas Pipeline.
Dumsor is derived from AdumdumAdumdum which is a minor form of Light offs. It causes great havoc only when a certain party is in power.