We won’t pay electricity bills - Voice of United Krobo Force declares

A group which calls itself Voice of Krobo Force has staged a demonstration at Somanya against the Krobo branch of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and destroyed part of the Krobo District head office of the company.

The demonstration, which lasted more than four hours, was against high electricity bills being charged by the ECG.

Numbering about 500, the demonstrators attacked the ECG workers who were on duty and destroyed the windscreen of two of their official vehicles.

 In the course of the disturbance, some of the policemen who were detailed to maintain law and order sustained minor injuries as the demonstrators threw missiles and other items at them.

 The Somanya police could not contain the large crowd and called for reinforcement from Akuse, Akosombo, Odumase Krobo and Kpong.

A resolution sent to the ECG Manager with copies to the Energy Sector Minister and the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, stated, among others, that ECG should henceforth desist from wrongful practice of estimate billing of customers.

Fraudulent

The demonstrators also accused the ECG of fraudulent documentation in the billing system and manipulation of meter boards by the ECG technicians.

“It is hereby resolved by members of the Voice of United Krobo Force that henceforth, the Krobo will no longer pay light bills. This is because of the negative repercussion on the lives of the Krobos as a result of the creation of the Akosombo Dam which completely submerged Kroboland and destroyed so many of our properties.

“No government has provided any compensation package to us the affected Krobos and this is the time we shall show our anger,’’ the statement stressed.

When the Daily Graphic contacted the Krobo Manager of ECG, Mr Prosper Avadetsi said the issue started about a month ago when an assembly member of one of the electoral areas started beating war drums encouraging the electricity consumers not to pay for electricity.

He alleged that because of that announcement, customers refused to pay their bills and when they were disconnected, they reconnected the power by themselves.

Mr Avadetsi alleged the assembly member owed so much for power he consumed at his residence and his block factory.

 He said when he was disconnected, he reconnected his meters.

The Somanya Police Commander, ASP Francis Ackah, for his part, said there was no permission from the group for the demonstration.

As of the time of filing this report at 6.30 p.m., the police were still guarding the ECG premises to avoid any untoward situation.  

A member of the organisers, Mr Ebenezer Jones Adamtey, aka Dendenden, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, asked the demonstrators to remain calm as the petition would be sent to the Energy Minister and the President.

One of the vehicles of ECG vandalised by the demonstrators