Mr Felix Mensah Annang-La, the Metropolitan Chief Executive for Tema, has praised President Nana Akufo-Addo for his show of fatherly responsibility on the behalf of the people of Manya Krobo in the Eastern region.

“His Excellency the President has shown that he will never sit down and allow any bully to have his or her way with his people, and I fully support his order to PDS to reconnect the whole Manya Krobo to the electricity grid.”

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, the Mayor said that the President’s stance with the people against Power Distribution Services (PDS), following PDS’ decision to undertake mass disconnections in the area, was endearing.

According to him, the President’s decision is a signal to PDS and other public utility companies that, “Ghana is in a new era now…this time, the interest of the people is what will override profit and corporate interest.”

The Tema Mayor’s take was a commentary on the on-going impasse between PDS, the private company in charge of power distribution in Ghana, and the people of Manya Krobo, which has led to the killing of at least two people.

The confusion started when PDS stormed the Lower Manya Krobor area and started a mass disconnection exercise over claims that many households there owed huge electricity bills.

Residents and natives of the place responded to the mass blackouts with protests which resulted in clashes with the Police and subsequent deaths of at least two people.

The President, however, ordered PDS to restore electricity to the place immediately the issue got to his attention, and also ordered the Ministry of Energy to investigate the issue and report to him.

Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu since expressed the President’s displeasure with PDS and also relayed the President’s solidarity to the people of Manya Krobo.

“It is refreshing to see that we now have a President who can stand up for his own people against bullying corporate entities.

According to him, President Akufo-Addo’s response should be a lesson to PDS and other service providers that they would not be allowed to walk over Ghanaians for their profits.

“And as for His Excellency President Akufo-Addo, we thank him for this show of leadership and we want him to know that all of us Ghanaians are solidly behind him on this one,” Felix Mensah Annang-La said.