NEDCo to cut electricity supply to UDS over GHS4.6 million indebtedness

The Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) owes the Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited (NEDCo) of the Volta River Authority (VRA) up to the tune of GHS4,658,214.21 mynewsgh.com has uncovered

As a result, NEDCo has served authorities of the University notice to clear their entire debt by October 1, 2017 or suffer a disconnection.

When contacted, the Head of Corporate Communications of NEDCo, Maxwell Kotoka confirmed that the UDS actually owed electricity bills dating back to 2013 which was the last time authorities of the University paid bills.

“Since 2013, UDS has not paid light bills and the bills have been going up, up and up. VRA office in Wa has written to the authorities of UDS on three different occasions but they have refused to respond.

“Management decided the best thing to do is to replace all postpaid meters in the University with prepaid meters some weeks ago…..we however have given UDS up to 1st October next month to clear their accumulated bills” he told mynewsgh.com.

Mr. Kotoka however indicated that, earlier checks by VRA officials had revealed that apart from the UDS consuming the power from VRA, other private entities including welders, fabricators, block molders and among others, also tapped power illegally from the former, thereby increasing their bills.

But authorities of the University for Development Studies declined to comment on the claims of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited when mynewsgh.com made several contacts to ascertain the truth or otherwise of the debt owed by them.

In a related development, 21 of the 24 people who were ‘caught’ by officials of NEDCo in Tamale for engaging in illegal power connection have since paid up their fines, according to Mr. Kotoka. Three others who failed to pay, he said, had been reported to the police.

The 24 people, who are all residents of Dohinayili, a suburb of the Tamale Central Constituency, had together consumed a total power of GH¢ 75,098.19.

In view of the rampant illegal power connection in its operational area, NEDCo has now embarked on what it calls “naming and shaming” as another form of strategy adopted to fight canker.

At the time of filing this report, a team of personnel from the NEDCo had visited Sunyani and its environs to sensitise residents and business operators on the need to stop illegal power connection.