The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is protesting the arrest of its Ashanti Regional General Manager (GM), Mr. Michael Wiafe for supervising the disconnection of power supply to Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) over unpaid bills.
All the various offices of ECG across the country have hoisted red flags to protest their displeasure with the manner in which their GM was treated.
The protest comes on the back of Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah’s failure to apologise and withdraw the case he filed against Mr. Michael Wiafe.
It would be recalled that the senior and junior staff members of the power distributor in the Ashanti region, in a statement on April 18, gave the regional minister, Mr. Osei Mensah, up to Tuesday, April 23, to apologise for causing the arrest of General Manager, Mr. Wiafe.
They also demanded the withdrawal of the case from the Police station by close of day, Tuesday, April 23, 2024,” …else the entire ECG Ashanti Region, as a first step in registering our displeasure will hoist red flags and be in red on Wednesday, the 24 of April 2024,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Worker’s Union (PUWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and members of the general public have criticised the minister but no official statement has been made by the police or government.
Background
Mr. Osei Mensah filed a complaint in response to the disconnection of Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) from the national grid due to an outstanding debt of GHC1.2 million.
According to the minister, he had previously informed the ECG Ashanti Region that they should notify him before carrying out any disconnection within public universities. However, he was not informed about the disconnection at KTU, which led to his complaint.
The Regional Minister’s complaint resulted in the General Manager being detained by the police and asked to write an official statement before being granted self-recognizance bail.
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The statement further emphasised that ECG reserves the authority to cut off any institution or individual for failing to pay electricity bills without obtaining permission from any quarters or persons.
Moreover, the union further urged all state institutions, departments and agencies within the Ashanti Region to pay their electricity bills.