Teshie residents on warpath with ECG over installation of prepaid meters

Residents of Teshie, a suburb of Accra are rejecting pre-paid meters supplied them by the Electricity Company Ghana to replace post-paid ones currently being used by the community.

According to the residents, as a fishing and poor community they cannot afford to use the pre-paid meters because of its high charge rates.

Hundreds of youth in the community went on rampage last Wednesday disconnecting and vandalizing pre-paid meters fixed by the ECG.

A resident in the community, Nii Maama told Asempa News that a petition to the ECG by the youth was rejected by the authorities.

He said the residents have also channeled their grievances to the MP and Assembly Member but did not receive a favorable response.  

He hinted that several forums have been held over the matter where they have expressed dismay about the prepaid meters which they reckoned the power authority in the area wants to force on them.

The Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku constituency, Reuben Nii Nortey Dua expressed worry at the turn of events and described the action of the youth in the area as unacceptable.

Nii Nortey Dua disclosed that the meters and cables were fixed on government poles and not in people’s houses so nobody has the right to destroy it.  “Nobody should support such acts’’, he stated.

He says the incident must be condemned because it was wrong and does not speak well of the people in general.

Speaking to Asempa News on the state of affairs in the area after the action of the youth, Nii Nortey Dua said before the meters were installed the people were educated and agreements made so he was surprised about the youth’s actions.

He noted that vandalizing the electricity cables and meters cannot solve the problem.

The MP who is also Deputy Sports Minister insisted that the law must take its course because the facility is a property of government and cannot be destroyed by any individual.

‘’We agree that it is a fishing community but not to the extent that people could cut electric cables purchased with the tax payers money,  what authority do they have to do that?’’ he questioned.

Story: Twum Barimah/Asempa News/Ghana