Manya: Youth clash with police over PDS disconnections

There is pandemonium in Manya Kpongunor in the Lower Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region over an ongoing mass disconnection exercise by Power Distribution Services (PDS) in the area.

Irate youth in the community reportedly chased out staff of PDS who were in the community to carry out the disconnection exercise though they were accompanied by some armed police personnel.

Reports indicate that the agitating youth have mounted road blocks threatening to lynch staff of PDS should they enter any house. There is currently a gridlock on the Kpong -Odumase- Somanya road.

Meanwhile, the first team of Police officers dispatched to the scene have withdrawn as they were outnumbered by the irate youth. The Odumase Police command has called for reinforcement from Akosombo and Akropong to help maintain law and order in the area.

PDS is embarking on a mass disconnection exercise with armed Police personnel in Somanya, Odumase Krobo and its environs.

The exercise dubbed “Revenue Mobilization ” according to Somanya District Manager of PDS Ing.Edward Ochire, has become necessary due to the failure by many residents to pay their electricity bills since 2017. A situation he said has led to revenue shortfalls of the company.

Hundreds of houses have been disconnected in the ongoing exercise which started May 13,2019 from Kpong and Nuaso communities.

One person was put behind bars for attempting to resist disconnection of his house.Since the exercise began, many of the affeted residents have been trooping to the offices of PDS to pay their accumulated bills ranging between Ghc3

A feud between residents and workers of ECG now PDS turned bloody in 2017 when angry residents in somanya attacked its office for over billing .

Police vehicles were torched and properties destroyed in the violent attacks. Many residents have since refused to pay electricity bills and threatened to attack PDS staff who attempt to disconnect their homes.