Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has charged the newly inaugurated Special Revenue Protection Taskforce of NEDCo to embark on a rigorous revenue mobilisation drive to curtail operational losses.

The taskforce is made up of eight members who will be responsible for the collection of revenue in Northern Area, especially in Tamale. The King of Dagbon, Ndan Ya Na Abubakari II has since been appointed to serve as an ambassador on the taskforce.

Speaking at a ceremony to launch the taskforce in Yendi, the Energy Minister recounted that NEDCo has recorded power distributor losses of about 45 percent of its revenue in the entire Northern Area and 48 percent recorded in the Tamale metropolis.

He further called on members of the taskforce to remain diligent in discharging their duties while showing professionalism.

The Energy Minister also called on the taskforce to sensitise the people within the area before it embarks on the revenue mobilisation drive into the various communities.

“I want to remind those who are on the taskforce that it’s the service you’re still providing to the people, it does not you make the boss. So, if you don’t go with respect and humility and you go with confrontations and score-settling – I don’t want the situation where one of the members may have a problem with someone,” he advised.

Touching on the introduction of smart power meters, Dr. Opoku Prempeh urged the general public to accept the development in order to assist the power distribution companies to better serve customers efficiently.

“The meters would help in addressing the teething problems around billing and the discrepancies in the system for which reason customers must embrace it."

“I also want to charge the general public to pay their electricity bills in order for NEDCo to discharge their mandate diligently and provide quality service,” the Energy Minister added.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of NEDCo, Osmani Aludiba Ayuba in his remarks bemoaned the increasing rate of power theft and cautioned that the sustainability of NEDCo will be under threat if the menace is not curbed.

“Our losses in the Northern area in general and Tamale, in particular, constitute an existential threat to NEDCo. Whereas the losses in the Northern area hover around 45%, the case in Tamale township is around 48%. The power theft situation in Tamale if not addressed immediately can cause the collapse of NEDCo in the very foreseeable future,” he noted.

Mr. Ayuba further said the procurement of smart pre-payment meters have been undertaken to replace the other types that can be easily manipulated.

The NEDCo boss assured that it will continue to adopt pragmatic measures toward improving its overall customer-centeredness with support from the Energy Ministry.

The King of Dagbon, Ndan Ya Na Abubakari II, on his part commended government for its continuous commitment and efforts aimed at providing affordable electricity for Ghanaians.

“It is breathtakingly to see the determination of the government through your ministry to provide affordable electricity to Ghanaians in furtherance of the government’s pledge to the Ghanaian people. The good leadership you exhibit at your ministry has sown a seed of hope and expectations of the people in government,” the King noted in a speech read on his behalf.

Meanwhile, members of the Special Revenue Protection Taskforce are; Terence Ninnang, Ali Phillip, Hilda Alhassan, Abdul-Malik Hussein, Winfred Sewua, Ayishetu Ayamga, Elvis Demuyakor, John Yamoah, and Alexander Otu-Larbi.


MA