A transformer belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has been stolen at the ECG office at Bunso in the Abuakwa South Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The 100kVA transformer, worth about GH¢71,000.00, was stolen at a site on the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute opposite the Bunso police and fire stations.

This has resulted in a prolonged power outage, leaving institutions and households in nearby areas without electricity for almost a week.

The CSIR Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, Bunso Police and Fire stations, and nearby houses are the most affected.

Mr Emmanuel Halm, the Eastern Regional Communications Relations Officer of the Company, who confirmed the theft to the Ghana News Agency, said the authorities were working to track down the thieves and restore power to the affected areas.

“We are working to restore power as soon as possible,” he said.

“We urge anyone with information about the theft to come forward and assist us in recovering our stolen property.”

He expressed concern over the incessant attacks on ECG installations, which posed a serious threat to stable electricity supply in communities around the area.

In recent years transformer thefts have been a recurring problem in the Eastern Region, with several incidents reported in the past, especially last year.

Mrs Sariel Adobea Etwire, the Eastern Regional General Manager of ECG, has thus appealed to the public to report any suspicious activity to help protect their installations.

The thieves had managed to steal some components from six transformers serving the local population, she said.

Despite the company’s investment of GHS8.4 million in transformer improvements last year to enhance power supply in the region, some of them had been vandalised.

The list of vandalised transformers is striking. This includes a 50 kVA transformer near Oyoko Roundabout, two 100 kVA in the Asesewa District, a 100 kVA at Suhum, a 200 kVA at Asafo in the Tafo District that serves a hospital, and a 200 kVA at Koforidua’s Lartey Gas area.

The impact of these thefts and vandalism on the local population has been significant, with many residents experiencing power outages and disruptions.