A section of Ghanaians has chastised the Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, for his challenge to citizens to release a load-shedding timetable if they assumed that the country was in a power crisis.

In the past months, there has been erratic power supply across the country, and many Ghanaians have demanded that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Energy Ministry release a load-shedding timetable so they can plan their lives.

Both the Energy Ministry and the ECG have denied "dumsor" claims. As such, they insisted that there was no need for a timetable.

On March 25, the Energy Minister also known as Napo, said that the demand for a load-shedding timetable is equivalent to wishing evil for the country.

He further stated that "Let those who want the timetable bring it."

"I don't know of any timetable because the ECG has said it is not necessary. Why would someone just wish evil for the country?” he asked.

This comment, many listeners who called into Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on March 26, described as insulting and lacking respect for the people.

A caller expressed confusion as to why the minister constantly denied 'Dumsor' claims when everything clearly indicated that it had returned.

• Read also: Energy Minister denies return of “dumsor”, dismisses calls for a load-shedding timetable

“I live in kasoa. We've had intermittent light off light like we are connected to the generator and the generator is out of fuel. What is the minister saying? What do they take us for? Bring us a timetable so that we know how to plan our lives so that we know when we have light and when we don't have light,” he said.

He demanded that at the very least, the government owed citizens a duty to release a schedule so they could plan ahead of time.

“So that at least life will be at least some... I'm really frustrated this morning. Yesterday, the lights were on throughout the day. Sometime in around, I think, six, the light went off. Within a few seconds, it blinked and came back.

“And then they took it again. Within about three hours, they brought it back. And you say you are not shedding light?” he quizzed.

• Read also: Dumsor: ‘It’s very insulting’ – Jinapor on Napo’s posture on timetable demand

Another caller said in other parts of the world, Dr Prempeh would have been handed a sack letter, but in Ghana, politicians assumed they were monarchs, which is why we constantly faced a lack of accountability.

“If I were the president by now, I would fire him. But African ministers and their president think they are monarchs.

 Another caller said, “Those who can still go and queue and say they are voting for these people that is my worry.”

Also, the Minority on Parliament’s Energy Committee has strongly objected to Dr Prempeh's justifications for the power outages.

Minority spokesperson on energy, John Jinapor said it is completely inappropriate for the Minister to respond to the citizens' demands in such a manner.

• Read also: Dumsor timetable: Opoku Prempeh was only factual with Ghanaians, no malice intended – Energy Ministry

"When the people say the outages are too many, give us the timetable to plan, the Minister says those who are asking for the timetable should go and prepare the timetable themselves. It is extremely unfortunate, very insulting," he told JoyNews.

Meanwhile, in a press release issued on Tuesday, March 26, and signed by the Minister’s spokesperson, Kofi Abrefa Afena, the Energy Ministry clarified that the remarks by the minister were simply stating facts.