Tayime, (VR), March 30, GNA - A mass rural electrification programme is underway in the Volta Region to bring the region up to the 65 percent national average coverage of power from the national grid. Power coverage in the Volta Region is currently at 58 percent. Alhaji Innusah Fuseini, Deputy Minister of Energy said this on the first day of his three-day inspection of completed and progressing electrification projects, under an agreement between China and Ghana. Alhaji Fuseini visited five communities in the Akatsi district, three in the Ketu-North district, and was scheduled to visit 10 other communities in the Keta Municipal Area, South-Tongu and North-Tongu districts, by the close of his visit on Wednesday.

The Minister said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would ensure that the programme which envisaged 100 percent coverage by 2020 was devotedly carried out.

China International Electric Company is the contractor on the jobs, scheduled to be completed by June this year. Alhaji Fuseini, during the interactions, addressed concerns of the communities, including inadequate coverage, low capacity of transformers and cost of getting connected.

At Agbaflome in the Akatsi District, Mr Doe Adjaho, MP for Ave-Avenor complained about community electrification projects which were given on contract about three years ago had been abandoned. The contracting firms mentioned include Strings Electrical, David and Sons and Stone Electrical. Alhaji Fuseini directed that the District Assembly traced and made verifications with the said contractors on the state of the jobs. He advised communities to engage only services of certified electrical technicians for wiring their houses. Alhaji Fuseini said between 80 and 100 other towns in the region were on line to receive electricity soon. Mr Omane Frimpong an Engineer on the job said works were ahead of schedule and that with the arrival of some important fittings at the ports, electricity should be available to the communities within two weeks. He explained that there was room for expansion and upgrading, where necessary, for all the jobs.

Mr Edward Kessie, Acting Technical Head of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Akatsi district, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the ECG had programmed outreaches to educate the newly connected communities on what to do and precautions to take. He said the ECG did some trouble-shooting to ensure safety and to be sure that certain standards were met before authorizing connections. Those who accompanied the Minister on the trip were Mr Woeli Kemevor, Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy and Colonel Cyril Necku, (rtd), Deputy Volta Regional Minister. 30 Mar 10