Stay away from our substations - PDS

The Tema Regional Office of the Power Distribution Service (PDS) has admonished recalcitrant residents of Tema and its environs to desist from tampering with its facilities especially the substations.

Mr Joseph M. Forson, General Manager of Tema PDS, said such acts could affect the power distribution system and plunge an area into unplanned power outages.

Mr Forson gave a strong warning that PDS would ensure that such persons when caught would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

He gave the admonishment after one Seidu was apprehended at a substation in Tema Community Five for allegedly stealing copper earth wire components from the distribution system.

The earth wire forms part of the earth system which relay information to enable the detection of faults in the distribution system as well as block leakage of electric power in the system.

He commended residents of Tema Community Five SSNIT flats for apprehending Seidu while appealing to others to emulate them and assist the PDS by looking out for such unscrupulous persons in their communities.

Mrs Cynthia Bannerman, Tema South District Manager of PDS, told journalists that the residents on Wednesday reported the incident to PDS staff who subsequently informed the Community Two police.

Mrs Bannerman said Seidu had a kitchen knife and some of the copper earth wire in his possession at the time of the arrest but refused to state the reasons behind his actions.

She added that even though Seidu's action did not immediately affect power supply in the area, it could have impacted on the distribution therefore, her outfit put in measures to prevent an outbreak of fire in the transformer.

She indicated that officials of PDS had realized that some recalcitrant residents were removing fuse boxes on some of the substations leading to several power outages which were not planned by the power distributor.

The Tema South District Manager said security around the substations had been intensified while public sensitization was ongoing to educate residents on the importance of the substations in their communities.