The Electricity Company of Ghana ECG has expressed shock that residents of Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo are still agitating over billing anomalies that occurred between 2014 to 2017.
A spokesperson for the Tema branch of ECG, Mary Sakyi said, through stakeholder engagements facilitated by the Ministry of Energy and ECG, the consensus was reached that bills from 2014 to 2017 be set aside but payment plan for the accumulated bills from 2018 be paid in installments on cases by case basis by customers in the Krobo area.
“Somewhere around 2014, ECG had a billing anomaly and this happened across all ECG operational areas in the previous regions that are Ashanti, Western, Central, Greater Accra, Volta, and Eastern Region among others. It got to a point where PURC came in and we have to suspend that billing software. So this isn’t an issue that happened specifically with Kobos alone”
Mrs. Mary Sakyi said this when responding to a demonstration by United Krobo Foundation held on Monday on the impasse.
“ECG conducted an investigation and submitted our report to PURC and they also conducted their independent investigation, so the bills from 2014 to 217 were set aside. However, from 2018 till now, these are bills that had no issue with billing, they had no problem or challenges whatsoever “.She said
Krobos in Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo Municipalities in the Eastern region are demanding direct power supply from Volta River Authority (VRA) instead of the Electricity Company of Ghana.
According to them, the Construction of Akosombo and Akuse Dams displaced their ancestors and deprived them of their livelihood but were not compensated therefore it is insensitive for VRA not to serve them with power as being done in other Communities in Asuogyaman District.
As a result, the United Krobo Foundation, a group championing this agenda over the years, organized a massive demonstration on Monday, November 22, 2021, against plans by the Electricity Company of Ghana, ECG, to introduce prepaid meters in Somanya, Odumase, and its environs.
The group said residents in the Krobo area can no longer be under the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for power supply.
Convener of the group, Nathan Boryou told the media that, ECG must first scrap all outstanding arrears of customers created due to the issue of overbilling in the Krobo area.
“The ECG as an Institution was not able to resolve the problem of their customers within Krobo area. The grievances of customers are so agitating that more problems may occur in days ahead”.
The group is therefore demanding that “prepaid metering within the Krobo states must stop immediately”
The group had earlier demanded that the entire Krobo enclave access free direct power supply from Volta River Authority (VRA) as part of the social responsibility of the Authority for dispossessing Krobos from their land for the construction of the Kpong Dam.
“Krobos were not paid compensation when Akosombo and Kpong dams were constructed, meanwhile the VRA Resettlement fund is also not being utilized to the benefit of the affected Communities hence must be investigated” the group demanded.
The impasse between Krobos and ECG led to deadly clashes between residents and police resulting in the shooting of protestors which two died while at least five sustained gunshot wounds in May 2019. A female Junior High School student who was among the Victims had her leg amputated while a footballer has been paralyzed as a result of the injury.
United Krobo Foundation has warmed that, failure by the state to investigate and sanction culprits of the shooting incident will remain unpardonable agony among Krobos.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
