General News of Tuesday, 13 August 2002

Source: GNA

Nima Streetlights Nearing Completion

The on-going rehabilitation of streetlights on the Nima Highway estimated at 170 million cedis being carried out by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would be completed at the end of August.

Speaking to the GNA on Monday after a public forum in Nima, Mr Stephen Ayayi Ayittey-Mensah, Public Lighting Engineer of the ECG, said the lights ceased working early last year.

He said the ECG was unable to rehabilitate the lights immediately because of the complexity of the damage but it was later included in a major rehabilitation works which began this year.

He explained that the ECG in tracing the fault discovered that most of the central cubicle cables had been stolen and some destroyed beyond repair.

Mr Ayittey-Mensah said the rehabilitation of all streetlights in Accra had begun.

He called on residents at Nima and elsewhere to be patriotic enough to report anyone found stealing or damaging public property.

Addressing the forum earlier, Mr Kofi Afewu, Regional Director of ECG Accra East, said people should not hesitate to approach the company in case of any problem or difficulty they might face in connection with power supply.

He told the forum, "ECG exists because of you, and is doing all that it can to provide you with efficient and reliable service, which could only be possible through contacts with its customers, which is you".

Mr Alex Anwobor, Marketing Manager of ECG, Accra East explained the new tariff rates and the government's subsidy saying; "it must be understood that all those who use the prepaid metres as well as shop owners or those in non-residential buildings would not benefit from the package."

He said those who can enjoy subsidy are those whose energy consumption is up to 50 units.

The speakers answered questions bordering on illegal connections, streetlights, energy conservation and the new tariffs.