Kejetia traders allegedly assault 2 ECG staff

Some traders at the Kejetia market in Kumasi on Monday allegedly assaulted two workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The victims, who are yet to be identified, were said to be part of a revenue mobilization team that visited the market.

The General Secretary for the Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU), Michael Nyantakyi, confirmed the incident in an interview with Adom TV.

Mr. Nyantakyi said this is not the first time ECG staff have been assaulted in their line of duty and raised concern about their safety.

“It is quite unfortunate for people who are doing their work to be attacked. People are not willing to pay for their utilities but aside from disconnection, there is nothing ECG can do because the power is not free. We always have to put more effort into the collection,” he said.

Mr. Nyantakyi stated that the reason assault on ECG staff keeps reoccurring is due to the lack of strict punitive measures.

“People get this unnecessary boldness because of the sanctions. Even when people are arrested for power theft, the sanctions are mild so we don’t even take them seriously,” he added.

He said the Energy Ministry and Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (EC) must step in and deal decisively with perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the market has been disconnected from the national power grid for the second time due to a GH¢70 million debt owed to the ECG.

Leaders of the traders say power has been cut since last Thursday, April 11, 2024, and the market currently runs on a generator set on an intermittent basis.