Akyem Pankese residents clash with ECG staff over dumsor and bills

Residents of Akyem Pankese, located in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region, have clashed with workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the district.

The clash erupted when ECG personnel arrived in the community to disconnect customers who had fallen behind on their electricity bill payments amid concerns over intermittent power outages.

Starr News gathered that residents of Akyem Pankese have accused the ECG of issuing them high bills, leading to widespread reluctance to settle their dues.

This discontent reached a boiling point as attempts by the ECG to enforce disconnections were met with hostility from the community members.

Some ECG staff members were reportedly assaulted and manhandled by the angry residents.

Witnesses recounted instances where some ECG workers were subjected to physical aggression, including being hit on the head and dragged from a ladder, resulting in the loss of a tooth.

“The bills they are presenting to us here are outrageous. Some are paying as much as GHC8,800. You switch the power off haphazardly, and then you’ve come here to remove our fuse What wrong have you done?” one of the angry youths lamented.

Another resident said, “My mother has a cold store, so by removing the fuse, do you want the fish and meat in the refrigerator to spoil? Someone’s meter was stolen six months ago yet he has been given a bill of GHC9,000.”

According to Eric Boafo, the Unit Committee Chairman for Akyem Pankese, the tension escalated on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, when ECG staff attempted to remove fuses from the community’s transformer in a bid to disconnect the entire area.

However, their actions were vehemently resisted by residents, resulting in a clash between the two parties.

“ECG workers came to the community to remove the fuse in the transformer because they said someone had done something against them. They have switched off the light since morning and have come to remove the fuse, so we decided to resist them, ” a resident said.

After hours of hostile standoffs and threats, ECG staff had no option but to be forced to restore the fuse to the transformer.

Efforts to reach the ECG district engineer in the area were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, leaders in the Akyem Prankese community have reported the incident to the local police.