ECG cuts power supply to Ministry Block in Cape Coast
Electricity supply to 10 government departments and agencies at the Ministry Block in Cape Coast has been cut.
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The agencies are said to be owing the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) GH¢82,873 covering the period January 2013 to date.
The action of the ECG has halted operations of many agencies, including the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), the Audit Service, the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Information Services Department (ISD) and the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
Indebtedness
The Central Regional Manager of the ECG, Mr Anokye Abebrese, said the decision to cut power supply stemmed from the failure of the agencies to settle the debt owed and their refusal to accept bills sent to them.
He explained that the move by the ECG was as a result of the government’s directive that ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) should be responsible for the payment of their utility bills.
Asked why the occupants were not given notice prior to the action, he maintained that the company was not under any obligation to do that.
He said the ECG had written to the Central Regional Coordinating Council about the debt owed and the need for the company to replace old electrical wires in the building.
Situation on ground
When the Daily Graphic visited the block around 11 a.m. yesterday, five days after the disconnection, the rooms looked dark, with the curtains in some of the offices having been raised, while some of the workers were seen working from their personal laptops or ipads.
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A worker of the Audit Service said the situation was a security threat, since they now had to go to private cafes to print documents.
“If this situation is not resolved early, most confidential documents will be in the hands of members of the public,” he said.
According to the Central Regional Manager of the GNA, Mrs Alice Tettey, the situation “is having a negative effect on our work”.
She said as a wire service, her outfit had to be active every day and night, adding, “I have to charge my laptop from home and the device does not last for even two hours due to the work load.”