Some irate customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Friday afternoon vandalised a vehicle and attacked staff of the company at Wassa Nsuopunu, near Wassa Akropong in the Western Region for disconnecting an illegal meter.
The mob, which included Godwin Kyereboah, allegedly owing the company to the tune of GHC8,173,smashed the windscreen and rear glassesof the vehicle with registration number GM 595- 14 during the attack.
The suspects, whoare on the run and being sought for by the police, pelted the ECG staff with stones while they retreated to the vehicle for safety.
“We have reported the matter at the Bogoso Police Command and investigations have begun.” the ECG District Manager at Bogoso, Mr Ebo Sagoe, told the Ghanaian Times yesterday.
He explained thatKyereboahowed the debt over the years, and that, anytime he was disconnected, he found ways of reconnecting the meter.
Mr Sagoe said in the attempt to dodge the payment of the debt incurred on the meter, Kyereboah replaced the actual ECG meter with a Ministry of Energy sponsored- meter meant to be installed in very remote parts of the country.
“When this illegality was detected, staff of ECG went to disconnect the said meter and to retrieve the debt owed.The customer together with persons yet to be identified, attacked the ECG team and vandalised their vehicle,” he added.
He continued “If a domestic customer owesabout GHc 8, 000, youcan imaginethat the debt is long overdue. This time, we decided that with his recalcitrance, we need to put our feet down by disconnecting Kyereboah.We went to Wassa Nsuopunu in the morning and conducted the exercise, then the staff went there in the afternoon and suspect andaccomplices stoned and smashed our operational vehicle.”
Mr Sagoe stated that ECG staff at Bogoso was poised to identify illegal connections being perpetrated by some unscrupulous persons within their operational area and bring them to book.
He, therefore, advised customersto desist from these illegal activities and rather pay their bills promptly to help sustain the company and also “to serve our increasing customer population with the attendant load demand.”
“ECG staff are committed to the call by our management to collect debts owed by our cherished customers having fulfilled our part of the contract by supplying quality, reliable and safe electricity to the public,” he assured.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
