The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has disconnected power supply to Best Crystal Hostel, a private mega hostel facility located at South Odorkor in the Greater Accra region for stealing power.
The facility had been using stolen power for the past three years thereby costing the power distribution company losses in excess of GH¢400,000.
The illegality was detected at the hostel facility by a team of ECG field staff who were visiting facilities to audit meter installations as part of efforts to clamp down on power theft and other illegal activities.
Speaking to the media, the Revenue Protection Manager of the ECG in the Accra West Region, Dr. Mark Owusu Ansah noted that despite having a total of four (4) meters installed within the hostel’s premises, the hostel had bypassed all the meters using a device specially fabricated for that purpose.
“The team discovered that the hostel had configured contactors in a room which enabled them to bypass our metres and not pay for electricity, for three years. Appliances used in the hostel included 8 fridges, 15 fans, microwaves, electric stoves, irons, kettles and rice cookers.”, he said.
“Our engagements with the hostel management after our discovery proved that, this was a deliberate attempt to rob the Company. He has since been summoned to the office to be surcharged with the amount of power stolen for the period.”, Dr. Ansah added.
Meanwhile, the Accra West General Manager of ECG, Ing. Ebenezer Ghunney, has warned customers to desist from engaging in activities that deprive the ECG of revenue, indicating that the company has renewed its drive to inspect all metres installed in the region to expose illegal power theft. He outlined measures to prosecute, name and shame all offenders.
Following the expiration of a 6-week moratorium given its customers, the Managing Director of the ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama, recently launched an operation dubbed “Visibility”. This involves the deployment of special National Revenue Taskforce and the Revenue Protection unit of ECG with support from the Ghana Police Service to visit homes and offices.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak