Parts of Sekondi in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis in the Western Region were on Monday plunged into total darkness after suspected thieves vandalised and siphoned oil from the transformers serving the area.
They damaged the 20o kilo-volt-amperes (kVA) ground mounted transformer and drained oil from the two transformer switches connected to it.
According to the District Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for Sekondi, Mr Martin Djan, the oil siphoned was critical to the functioning of the transformers.
“The oil cools the windings in the transformer and also serves as an insulation to the coils in the transformer,” he explained to the Ghanaian Times in an exclusive interview yesterday.
The damaged transformers are part of the substation A37, located at Lands Commission Roundabout, Sekondi, and crucial to power supply of customers in the area.
The switch off of power supply affected areas including the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and Head Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Others were the West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Health Insurance Scheme, Passport Office, Ghana Water Company (GWCL) and the St. Paul’s Anglican Church.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts were underway by the ECG engineers to restore normal services to customers in the area.
Mr Djan assured the public that, ECG engineers were working hard to refill the oil in the transformer switches to ensure power supply.
The District Manager told the Ghanaian Times that the incident had been reported to the Sekondi Police Command for investigation and pursuit of the perpetrators.
The General Manager, ECG, Western Region, Mr Emmanuel Justice Ofori, advised the public to be vigilant and report any suspected unusual activity around ECG installations.
Management, he said, was taking steps to enhance security at the various ECG substations to prevent unscrupulous persons from vandalising the vital national installations which measures he declined to elaborate on.
When contacted, the Police promised to revert to the reporter on details about the case, but as of the time of filing the report, they were yet to do so.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
