Regional News of Monday, 15 December 2003

Source: GNA

ECG Manager to appear before Agona District Assembly

Agona Swedru (C/R), Dec 15, GNA - Mr Bismark Awuku, the Swedru Area Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has been summoned to appear before Agona District Assembly on Friday 19 December, 2003 to answer questions about complaints by the consumers in the district. Mr John Kwesi Agyabeng, District Chief Executive for Agona , who disclosed this to the GNA said that a lot of complaints had been sent to his office concerning ECG officials.

He said some of reports were the removal of meters, politicisation of disconnection and high charges for new consumers.

According to the DCE some of the ECG officials told the consumers that "you said wanted Kufuor administration and now that you cannot pay electricity bills, we are going to disconnect your meter".

He noted that another complaint was the removal of meters of defaulters for two or three months, for them to re-apply paying not less than 900,000 cedis.

Mr Agyabeng said these acts had aroused the interest of the Assembly to invite the ECG manager to appear and explain the rational behind complaints.

Consumers GNA interviewed expressed anger about the unreliable services of the ECG, adding that, persistence power fluctuations had damaged their electrical gadgets.

A consumer Mr Kojo Kyere appealed to the Minister of Energy to help rectify anomalies in the company.

According to him with such high electricity bills, President Kufuor's efforts to attract investors would not yield any fruitful results.