The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) through its Loss Control Unit, has uncovered a shocking 3,177 unpatriotic individuals from six regions, who have ripped off the company through illegal connections in 2012 alone.

Out of the figures, 502 of the crooks were discovered in Accra, 321 were grabbed in Ashanti Region, 283 in Tema, 182 identified in Volta, 173 in Eastern while 71 were nabbed in the Central Region.

This revelation comes amidst reports that, ECG through its new Managing Director, William Hutton-Mensah, has collected the biggest sum into the coffers of the company. This he did by reaching out to those indebted to the company, to pay their debts or risk disconnection.

Brong-Ahafo, Upper East, Upper West and the Northern Regions were not captured by the ECG, as they fall under the supervision of Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NED), a subsidiary of the Volta River Authority (VRA).

Additionally, the Loss Control Unit has also identified a total of 285 markets in the six regions, which are fire-prone, following a technical audit carried out by the Unit. The markets became fire-prone as a result of illegal connections in the various markets.

The Herald chanced upon this information in an exclusive interview with the head of Public Relations (PR) of ECG, William Boateng, last Friday in Accra.

This paper gathered that the company was not taking it lightly on these criminals, and has, therefore, swiftly started retrieving the debts, as well as the accrued interest of one year.

On fire-prone markets, the PR manager disclosed to this reporter that, 62 of these markets were identified in the Ashanti Region, 46 in Greater Accra, 44 in Volta Region, 38 in the Central Region and Eastern Region 21 whilst 11 have been discovered in the Tema metropolis.

Mr. Boateng hinted that the Loss Control Unit in collaboration with the security agencies, would soon storm the various fire-prone markets identified, in a special operation, aimed at clearing the illegal connections in these markets.

“The joint operation task force”, Mr. Boateng said, “would destroy cables in these markets where improper wirings and illegal connections took place using inferior and under-sized conductors”.

The operation was being sparked by a strict directive from the seat of government to ECG, to ‘clean up’ all markets with unauthorized electrifications, to avert any unforeseen fire disaster.

All Regional, Municipal and District Security Outfits have been informed of this directive, and are preparing to assist the ECG team for the operation, Mr. Boateng told The Herald.

According to Mr. Boateng, “ECG after the clean up would network these markets with ultra-modern and expensive conductors, called Area Bundle Conductors (ABC), to make the markets safer as these conductors are specially made insulators and are fire resistance”.

What is crucial to the electricity company, Mr. Boateng lamented, was the sensitization of the store and shop owners, as well as the effective policing of the markets by the authorities to ensure that, after these rehabilitation exercises, the situation would not deteriorate and reverse to its bad state.

ECG, he said, cannot police everywhere in the country to detect these illegalities, but needs the vigilance of patriotic citizens to report on these situations.

He hinted that the audit conducted revealed that sub-standard and frightening electrical wires were used in the markets, and this has the potential of causing serious fire outbreaks in these markets.

Mr. Boateng, therefore, appealed to all well-meaning Ghanaians to demonstrate their patriotism and responsibility towards the safety of the nation’s power suppliers to help serve the citizenry better.