Mahama laments effect of power theft

President John Dramani Mahama has called on traditional authorities - specifically those in the Greater Accra Region - to help government in exposing individuals who tap power without paying for it.

He said such people have contributed to the high cost of power in the country.

“We know those who are stealing the power and not paying. Illegal connections, we all know. It is those things that make the power expensive for us because for anybody who steals the power, we those who pay pay for it,” President Mahama stated on Tuesday, November 17 while addressing members of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs.

He met them as part of his ‘Changing Lives’ tour in the Region and took the opportunity to apprise them of Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a political party he leads.

The president, who is seeking re-election, said the primaries will be run like a district assembly election, and will see about 6,000 voting centers mounted at electoral areas.

President Mahama touched on government’s efforts to solve the energy challenges, saying the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is deploying officers to inspect and bring to book individuals and companies using power without paying for it.

“I want the judiciary to help us so that when these people are brought they will be fined heavily and when they are fined heavily they won’t go back to steal power again.”