A/R: Communities plunged into darkness after thieves attack ECG high-tension towers
About eight high-tension towers belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have fallen after thieves stole the bolts and nuts supporting the base at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
This has affected the high-tension towers transmitting power from Anwomaso BSP to Akyawkrom Substation near Ejisu.
It has subsequently led to several hours of power outages in some communities in the area.
Some of the affected communities include Bekwai, Anwiankwanta, Kumawu, Antoakrom, Manso Nkwanta, Jacobu, and Samfo-Aduam.
Others are Ejisu, Onwe, Besease, Asotwe, Abankro, and Baworo.
Officials of the power distribution company are currently working to fix the issue.
However, it is unclear when power will be restored to the affected communities.
This comes after the management of ECG appealed to the public to help protect transformers and other equipment of the company against thefts.
According to the power distribution company, this appeal became necessary following an upsurge in the thefts of their cables and transformers, which continued to affect the delivery of the company’s core mandates.
They climbed the electric poles, disconnected the transformer, and pushed it down.
According to the General Manager of ECG in the Volta Region, Christina Jatoe-Kaleo, a hunter from Adaklu Tsrefe, was on his way to the forest when he saw the suspects around the ECG transformer.
The hunter suspected them to be thieves, so he began shooting in the air to scare them.
Residents of Adaklu Tsrefe apprehended the suspects and later handed them over to the Volta Regional Police Command for further investigation.
The court later sentenced them to five years imprisonment each after they pleaded guilty to stealing and attempting to destroy public property.