ECG drags 425 defaulting customers to court

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has sued 425 customers in the Eastern Region who have defaultered in paying outstanding electricity bills.

The ECG aims to recover, through the legal action, its revenue from the defaulting customers who will appear before the High Court and Circuit Courts in Koforidua and other parts of the region.

The Eastern Regional General Manager of ECG, Ing. Michael Baah in an interview with the Daily Graphic, stated that his outfit has submitted a list of 425 customers who have failed to pay their electricity bills to the Koforidua High Court and other Courts for prosecution.

The list includes industries, educational institutions, government institutions, individuals and commercial operators.

According to Ing. Baah, the ECG would not relent in its efforts to retrieve all outstanding bills from customers, hence the stringent actions being taken against defaulting customers. He said the court action was to serve as deterrent to other defaulters who were yet to be dragged to court.

Ing. Baah appealed to all defaulters to endeavour to settle their debts to enable the company fulfil its mandate to its customers in the region, adding that the company needed money to provide quality and reliable services to its cherished customers.

ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS
In a related development, the ECG in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service has launched an operation to fight illegal connections in the Eastern region.

The special operation which was first launched in Accra takes place from Friday evenings to Sunday Evenings and is aimed at clamping down on people who have connected power illegally.

The exercise involves visits to all customers of the company to ascertain the nature of their electricity connection and the state of electricity meters.

According to the regional Public Relations Officer, Mary Eshun-Oppong, about 88 culprits have been apprehended for engaging in various forms of illegal connections in the region. She said these include operators of drinking spots, hair dressing salons, barbering shops, restaurants and printing press houses.

She emphasised that the ECG was prepared to name and shame anybody or institution found to be engaging in power theft. She therefore cautioned the general public to desist from illegal connection, saying that “it comes with effects such as low voltages, damage of electrical appliance and fire outbreaks”.

She said the company would not spare anybody found in engaging in illegal connection and therefore urged the public to report any suspected illegal connection activity to the ECG.