The Tema Regional Public Relations Officer of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Sakyiwaa Mensah, has attributed recent power outages in parts of the country to transformer vandalism, unauthorized customer activities, and technical faults within the power distribution system.
Speaking in an interview on Adekyee Mu Nsem, a morning show on Ahotor 92.3 FM hosted by Citizen Kofi, Madam Mensah explained that ECG is currently facing operational challenges that are affecting electricity supply to consumers.
She identified the deliberate destruction and vandalism of transformers as a major concern. According to her, some individuals target these installations during the early hours, pushing them down and stealing critical components—acts that disrupt power supply to entire communities.
Madam Mensah also highlighted the problem of customers illegally switching between electrical phases without ECG’s approval. She explained that each phase has a specific load capacity, and such unauthorized changes often overload the system, leading to transformer damage or failure and, ultimately, power outages.
“These actions place significant strain on the system and contribute greatly to what the public experiences as ‘dumsor,’” she stated.
She further appealed to the public to support ECG’s efforts by reporting suspicious activities around transformers to the police or relevant authorities. “We urge everyone to remain vigilant and report anyone seen tampering with ECG installations. Protecting these assets is a shared responsibility,” she added.
Addressing concerns about emergency outages, Madam Mensah explained that while ECG usually provides prior notice for planned maintenance works, some faults occur unexpectedly and require immediate attention. She assured that such unplanned outages are often minor and typically resolved within a short time.
She concluded by reiterating ECG’s commitment to improving service delivery and minimizing disruptions, while calling for greater public cooperation to safeguard the country’s power infrastructure.