‘No power, no vote’ – Miaso residents

Residents of Miaso in the Kwahu East District of the Eastern Region of Ghana are threatening to boycott the November general elections if power is not extended to the community.

Speaking on Accra News on Sunday, January 3, 2016, spokesperson for the residents, Akwasi Wiafe, said the government and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have baited them many times in the past with promises to link Miaso to the national grid, only to disappoint them.

Mr Wiafe alleged that the ECG initially came to the town in 2000 to assess the cost of extending electricity to the town, culminating in the company asking all households within Miaso to pay some money in realisation of that.

He said inhabitants, again parted with similar payouts to the ECG in 2005 when the power company returned to demand more, with the excuse that the town had expanded and more payment would be needed to carry out works.

Mr Wiafe said these payments notwithstanding, the ECG has failed to commence work towards providing the town with power.

He said residents in the area petitioned the District Chief Executive for Kwahu East, as well as the MP for the area, to intervene in the matter, but to no avail.

Residents, therefore, say they will not partake in this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections unless the government and the ECG redeem their promise to connect them to the grid.