Revealed: More communities enjoy ‘free’ electricity

It has finally emerged that the “free” electricity enjoyed by residents of Esreso a suburb of the Kumasi Metropolis is not peculiar to them alone.

Residents of Kuntenase, Kokoben and Atwima Boku all in the Ashanti region have for well over two years been also enjoying electricity from the state-owned power distributor, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) without paying for what they consume.

Checks reveal that residents paid between GH ¢100 and GH ¢200 to acquire the meters used to hook them to national grid in order to enjoy power under government’s rural electrification programme.

Former Minister of Energy Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei admits to Ato Kwamena Hazel of ultimate1069.com facilitating the distribution of the meters in 2012, but said it forms part of government’s project.

He was however unwilling to divulge circumstances and criteria used in distributing the meters which the ECG maintains are not in their books and as a result, are unable to bill beneficiaries for power they consume.

“Go and ask the ECG. I am not an official of the ECG to move from home to home collecting electricity bills. If anybody has an issue he should report me to the police and I will come and respond”, he said.

“I have served my country and only God knows why people are still scheming to soil my hard won reputation. I have contributed my part”, he fumed

Residents of Esreso a suburb of the Kumasi Metropolis have not paid electricity bills for well over two years now even though they are enjoying electricity.

Investigations uncovered, residents are willing to pay for the power they consume but the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) say the metres used by these residents are not in their records and as a result cannot bill them.

According to residents, they have been chasing the ECG on countless occasions to send them bills for power they have consumed but officials of the ECG seem to have no interest.