BusinessEnergyPolitics

NAPO: We won’t tolerate attack on ECG, NEDCO staff

Officials of the two power distributors have in recent times been subjected to attacks by power consumers in the Eastern and Northern regions

The Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has warned that his outfit will not tolerate further attacks on workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).

Officials of the two power distributors have in recent times been subjected to attacks by power consumers in the Eastern and Northern regions.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday (13 April) on developments in the energy sector, Dr Prempeh said ECG is making a loss of about GHC3.2 billion due to practices such as illegal connection.

“The attack on ECG staff, or NEDCo staff, the butchering of NEDCo workers because they are doing their normal duty is not going to be tolerated.

“The amount of money ECG doesn’t collect, from figures within ECG, their commercial losses and their collection losses and theft, those who are bypassing their meters, is costing ECG nearly GHC 3.2 billion,” the minister said. “We employ all Ghanaians that the little energy that ECG or NEDCo gets to you, pay for it.”

PURC resolves impasse between NEDCo and Tamale residents

Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) intervened in the impasse between field workers of Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) and residents of Koblimahgu within the Tamale metropolis.

It would be recalled that some residents of Koblimahgu are said to have pounced on a section of the workers of NEDCo and allegedly inflicted cutlass wounds on two of them last week.

The workers were said to be carrying out their routine work in the area when the incident occurred. NEDCo workers then embarked on a sit-down strike in solidarity with their colleagues.

Later, officials of the PURC held a meeting with the NEDCo workers and urged them to suspend their sit down strike. The meeting was spearheaded by the executive secretary of PURC, Dr Ishmael Ackah.

The deliberations centred on the increasing harassment and brutality meted out to NEDCo workers in Tamale in recent times.

Ackah said there is an existing law that mandates NEDCo workers to report customers for possible sanctions. He added that “customers have rights and at the same time they have responsibilities as well”.

He then called on the customers to be responsible customers.

Abukari Jabaru, director of operations of PURC, cautioned NEDCo workers to be circumspect in their dealings with customers when they find themselves on the field. He called on the NEDCo workers to adopt different strategies in dealing with the customers to avoid rancour.

Some of the NEDCo staff shared their experiences in their operations in Tamale, saying the situation is life-threatening.

Fred Dzakpata

Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 101.5 in Bawku, 99.9 in Bimbilla, 100.3 in Cape Coast, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa and 106.9 in Walewale
Join the conversation. Call: 020 000 9951 or 059 415 7777. Or WhatsApp: 020 000 0995.
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand

Views: 0

Show More

Related Articles

Back to top button

Adblock Detected

ALLOW OUR ADS