The Tema South District of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has called on community opinion leaders to rally their support in protecting the company’s assets and ensuring reliable power distribution. This appeal was made during an engagement session held at the district office on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
Addressing the gathering, the District Manager, Ing. Horace Nkansah, highlighted pressing issues affecting the company’s operations, including the misuse of substations and the theft of critical components like fuses. He lamented that several substations have been turned into refuse dumps, creating obstacles for maintenance teams and compromising power supply reliability.
Ing. Nkansah also raised concerns about the alarming rate of fuse thefts, which leave entire neighborhoods without electricity until replacements can be sourced and installed. “These acts disrupt power supply and inconvenience customers, often for extended periods,” he stated.
The community leaders voiced their concerns, particularly regarding unstable power supply and persistent low-voltage issues. In response, Ing. Nkansah explained that while some outages stem from the company’s operations, many are caused by external factors such as vandalism and theft. “For example, if a transformer shuts down due to stolen fuses, the resulting outage isn’t directly caused by the company,” he clarified.
He also criticized the unauthorized access to substations, where some individuals break padlocks and use the inner perimeters for storage. This, he warned, not only endangers lives but also hampers swift maintenance work. “Imagine arriving at a substation to resolve a fault, only to find piles of refuse that must first be cleared before any work can commence,” he explained.
Ing. Nkansah urged the opinion leaders to educate their communities on the importance of safeguarding power installations and reporting suspicious activities. “We need your support to protect these assets, which are critical to providing reliable electricity,” he appealed.
The session ended on a positive note, with community leaders commending the ECG Tema South District for its proactive response to their concerns. The existing WhatsApp platform connecting ECG officials and community representatives was praised as a vital tool for communication and prompt reporting of issues.
This collaborative effort is expected to strengthen relationships between the ECG and its stakeholders, fostering a united front in protecting vital infrastructure and ensuring stable electricity for the Tema South District.
Story by: Mercy Addai Turkson
