Katapei, a farming community in the Tepa of the Ahafo Ano North constituency of the Ashanti Region has finally gets electricity for the first time.

The Solar electrification project which was solely funded by the Black Star Energy at the cost of $200, 000 was inaugurated by the Management Team and the Community Consultative Committee and Nananom on August 15, 2017.

The Director and Engineer of the company, Mr Richard Arthur, said the extension of electricity to Katapie community was at the request of the community, the MP for the area Hon. Suleman Adamu Sanid and it was also in line with the Corporate Social Responsibility of the company.

He gave the assurance that the Black Star Energy would continue to support deprived communities in its catchment area to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of the inhabitants.

“We expect small and micro businesses to spring up while many employees living outside the area are likely to take up residence in the community,” he added.

However, the Apedwahene of Kumasi, Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV, who was the chairman for the occasion thanked the management for the kind gesture as it would impact positively in the lives of the community and transform the fortunes of the residents within the catchment area.

Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV, then advised the residents to make good use and maintain the project as the community's property and entreated students to study hard and pass better than the previous years.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo Ano North, Hon. Suleman Adamu Sanid, lauded the initiatives by private organisations like Black Star Energy to alleviate the development burden on the District Assembly and the Government in the part of the Ahafo Ano North.

Some of the community members who spoke to the media said that prior to the project, darkness was all the community which grappled with several security threats at night, and not even power to charge their phones was available.

The people lamented that prior to the completion of the project they depended on bush lanterns, touch lights and bonfires to wade off the darkness indicated that teachers can't prepare their lesson notes and that was their biggest challenge.

The Assemblyman of the area, Hon Sampson Awuah, then expressed his profound appreciation to the management of the Black Star Energy for removing the burden from the people of Katapei community and promised to take very good care of the project.