The Paramount Chief of Manya Krobo Nene Sakite II has assured that the impasse between residents in the Krobo area and ECG will soon be resolved for peace and tranquility to be restored.
According to Nene Sakite II, the agreement is being reached with ECG and other stakeholders to intensify sensitization on the prepaid metering system for other concerns and misconceptions on the system address while the solution is sorted for overbilling conundrum.
According to Nene Sakite II, the violence and escalating tension on Kroboland is worrying but hopeful the situation will normalize.
Nene Sakite II said this Friday, August 27, 2022, when the National Chairman of the Opposition NDC Samuel Ofosu Ampofo led a delegation from the national leadership of the NDC to pay a working visit to the Lower Manya and Yilo Krobo municipalities as part of the party’s ongoing membership drive and reorganization activities in the Eastern Region
Samuel Ofosu Ampofo condemned in no uncertain high-handed approach to resolving the impasse between Krobo and Electricity Company of Ghana, ECG, which has led to military brutality and maltreatment of some residents in Nuaso community in Odumase Krobo.
The party is calling on the government to as a matter of urgency withdraw all military personnel deployed to the Krobo area to ease the unnecessary tension and give way for citizens to go about their normal activities.
“The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government must change its modus operandi and adopt a humane approach in addressing the “Kroboland” – ECG crisis”
“We are praying that this situation does not rise again in any part of this country, that, there should always be jaw jawing other than war war. As for attacks and brutalities on civilians, we believe that we have come a long way as a nation from 1992 up to this time we are in the 8th government under the 1992 constitution and it is unthinkable to realize that in this era, the military will unleash violence and terror on ordinary citizens. We believe that there is the need for the military high Command to intervene in this matter so that this situation does not occur in any part of this country again” Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said.
The Dorm divisional chief Nene Bediako Muala III and Nene Akpatsu Azza, Chief of Nyeweh Division, questioned the militarization approach by ECG in installing the prepaid meters in the absence of sensitization of the people and provision of prepaid selling points in the communities.
There has been a long-standing feud between them. Krobo residents and ECG on over billing which ECG says it has ring-fenced 2014 to 2017 debt whilst instituting a five-year moratorium for the debt from 2017 to 2021 to be paid. However, the residents say ECG has not properly addressed the situation therefore the majority are resisting prepaid meter installation.
The standoff forced ECG to cut the power supply to Yilo and Manya Krobo municipalities on July 27, 2022.
However, power was restored on August 19, 2022, with the exclusion of the Nuaso community. The military subsequently invaded the community and brutalized residents over alleged provocative attacks.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
