Timely deployment of armed police prevents assault on ECG staff

The timely deployment of armed policemen prevented the physical assault of staff of the Kumasi Airport office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) by angry customers.

The customers who had formed long queues at the premises to buy pre-paid meter credits, were said to have become agitated following the inability of the staff to tell them when they would be able to buy the credits for their homes and businesses.

Some of the aggrieved customers who spoke to the Ghana News Agency during a visit to the premises on Monday morning, said they were appalled at lack of transparency in the ongoing challenges facing the ECG.

According to them, though the ECG had told the public that the challenges had been resolved and that customers could purchase power, they were still finding it difficult to get the power to buy.

They said the failure of the ECG to tell consumers the truth about the current challenges and when they would be resolved, were the cause of the agitations and attempts by some of them to manhandle the workers.

However, Mrs. Grace Garshong, Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the ECG told the GNA that, vending for some categories of the pre-paid meters had been restored in some areas of the Ashanti region.

“For instance, the Smart-G and E-cash 4 meters, which are serving areas such as Adum, Danyame, Abuakwa, Suame, Kwadaso, Ohwimase, Agric-Nzema and their catchment areas, were functioning and customers in those areas could purchase their power”.

She said other pre-paid service meter, the Ener Smart, which is supposed to serve areas such as Aboabo, Adukrom, Manhyia, Asawase, Asafo, Asokwa, Gyinase, Deduako, Kotei, Kentinkrono, Maxima, Effiduase and the adjoining communities, was still facing challenges and technicians were working to fix it.

Mrs Garshong said the IMES pre-paid meter, which serves areas like Dechemso, Krofuom, Moshie Zongo, Buokrom, Tafo, Ayigya, Ejisu and its environs, keeps on fluctuating because of instability of network but that would soon be addressed to help sell power to consumers.

She appealed to the customers to exercise restraint since the company was working around the clock to restore power for them.

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