Artisans and other persons operating under high-tension transmission towers belonging to the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) say they are unaware of the one-month ultimatum issued by the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, for them to vacate the areas.
The ultimatum followed an incident at Ashaiman Middle East in which an explosion involving a tanker being welded reportedly sent a metal fragment more than 300 metres into a high-tension transmission tower.
According to GRIDCo, the incident compromised the structural integrity of the tower, which carries two critical transmission circuits supplying power from the Volta Substation in Tema to the Achimota Substation in Accra.
Dr Jinapor issued the ultimatum last Thursday when he inspected the damaged tower being replaced by GRIDCo. He directed persons and businesses operating under power transmission pylons to vacate within one month or face forced eviction and possible confiscation of their belongings.
The Minister said the directive formed part of urgent measures to protect lives and property and prevent further damage to critical electricity transmission infrastructure.
However, checks by The Ghanaian Times indicate that the affected artisans were yet to receive any formal notice informing them of the directive.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times on Monday, members of the Ghana Association of Garages (GAG), Zone 14, said although they had heard reports about the directive, they had not been personally served with any notice or given details about when and how they were expected to vacate.
The Chairman of GAG Zone 14-Union A, Mr Francis Asun, said he was surprised to learn about the ultimatum through the media, stressing that no official had approached him or his colleagues to communicate the directive.
“We have heard that the Minister has given us one month to leave, but nobody has come here to tell us officially. We only heard it from the media,” he said.
According to Mr Asun, GRIDCo was aware of their operations and had permitted them to operate at a distance of 50 metres from the pylons.
He said some members had also been permitted to undertake temporary works without permanently occupying areas directly beneath the pylons, although he acknowledged that some artisans remained recalcitrant.
Mr Asun further alleged that officials of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) had allocated portions under the pylons to some persons and allowed them to operate there, while the assembly collected container permits, business operating permits and artisan licence fees from them.
The Chairman of Union B, Mr David Oppong, said some encroachers claimed that officials of the assembly, as well as the Tema and Ashaiman traditional authorities, had allocated plots to them under the high-tension lines.
Others, he said, admitted bringing their containers to the area without authorisation.
Mr Asun appealed to the authorities to engage the artisans directly before any enforcement action was taken, saying many of them had invested significant amounts of money in their workshops and businesses.
He said adequate notice and engagement would enable the affected persons to make alternative arrangements while taking into account the economic implications of the directive.
The Minister’s directive forms part of measures to prevent encroachment on electricity transmission corridors and reduce the risks posed by activities beneath high-tension lines.
Dr Jinapor said such activities posed serious threats to lives, property and the country’s electricity infrastructure.
He warned that persons who failed to comply within the one-month period would face enforcement action, including eviction and confiscation of their belongings.
The artisans have, therefore, called on the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, GRIDCo and the relevant metropolitan and municipal assemblies to engage them and clearly communicate the directive before the deadline expires.
They said such engagement would prevent confusion, allow them to make proper arrangements and, at the same time, address the safety concerns surrounding activities beneath the transmission lines.
FROM IAN MORTEY AND KEN AFEDZI, ASHAIMAN
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