Raymond Archer’s treatment ‘well-deserved’, he owed 70% of electricity- Trade Fair Boss

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Trade Fair Company (GTFC), Dr Agnes Adu, has defended the demolition of structures belonging to businessman and journalist Raymond Archer on the land of the company, arguing that apart from the fact that he was given adequate notice, he owed electricity bills in excess of GHC39, 000 which was a threat to electricity supply to the company.

Dr Adu revealed that Mr Archer’s businesses which were housed on the premises of GTFC had begun defaulting on the payment of electricity bills since 2012, and had an accumulated debt of over GHC 39, 000 by 2014 alone, insisting that the demolition of structures in which his businesses were housed had nothing to do with any personal vendetta whatsoever against him.

“From 2012, he started defaulting on paying his bills. So if I want to have a fair at Tamale this week and there is a defaulting tenant [how do I go about it?]…by the time I came here, almost everything was in disarray or destroyed… But you (Raymond Archer) go on radio and say you have been treated unfairly and you want me to be shaken?” She said in an interview with Asempa FM recently monitored by MyNewsGh.com.

Dr Adu opined that the fact that Mr Archer owed so much in electricity bills even though he paid a meagre GHC 1.50 per square metre of land his businesses occupied should have people questioning such an arrangement.

“This[ Raymond Archer’s electricity debt ] should shake people, the idea that the person could owe electricity to as high as GHC 39,000 accumulated over three years,” she stated.

The GTFC recently demolished structures belonging to Mr Archer, provoking widespread condemnation from the general public who pointed out that such an action was heartless and a wrong signal to Ghanaian entrepreneurs but the company through its board chairperson ( Daniel McKorley) and CEO has defended its actions.