The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Volta River Authority (VRA) say they do not have in their custody any official document exempting the people of Krobo land from paying electricity bills.
The two bodies have therefore challenged some youth in Krobo land to produce the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exempting them from the payment of bills.
Speaking to the media in Accra, Gertrude N. Koomson, Manager, Corporate Communications, VRA, said she was not aware of any MoU, adding that “I am also trying to look for it, we want to know the signatories, venue, time and date that the MoU was signed.”
According to her, VRA has records concerning resettlement and compensations that were to be paid to people but “we do not have any records exempting the people of the Krobo land from paying bills.’
Nana Arthur Forson, Director of Customer Service, ECG, told journalists in Accra that the company has not come across any MoU exempting them from paying bills, adding that the mandate of the company is to procure power from VRA and other power producing firms and sell same to consumers.
On the high bill payments in Krobo lands, Mr Forson admitted that the problem was a national issue following the procurement of a new software billing system but the company’s management had delegated senior personnel to rectify it.
“Currently, ECG is continuing with public education on its billing system and any problems facing its customers in Krobo area addressed by ECG customer Care services.”
Nene Sakite II, Konor of Manya Krobo at the 2017 Mgmayem festival durbar held during the weekend expressed his regrets that traditional rulers have been blamed over the exorbitant bills.
According to Nene Sakite, he was also not aware of any MoU between the VRA and Traditional Council exempting him and his people from paying bills.
He therefore urged all those who have knowledge of the said MoU to make it available for him to swiftly act on it.
The Konor of Manya Krobo appealed to the VRA to publish whatever they have on the payment of electricity bills concerning the people of Krobo. Meanwhile, some youth group of the krobo land has maintained that there is an MoU between their predecessors, the VRA and former head of State, Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1963.
According to Joshua Ogborjor, Spokesperson, Concerned Krobo Youth at Somanya, “the chiefs of Krobo land have the MoU and will by November 15, this year produce same.”
“From 1848, till this time all the records are there. I am very sure that the MoU exempted the people of Krobo from paying electricity bills.”
Teye Kwao Kaismu, Public Relations Officer of United Krobo Foundation, was not happy about the plight of the people of Krobo.
According to him, during the construction of the Akosombo and Akuse Dams, almost all their farm lands and produce were destroyed and a handful of people were compensated.
He bemoaned the huge ECG bills passed on the people of Krobo, saying they could not pay them because most residents were jobless.
Mr Kaismu alleged that there were other communities that were not paying electricity bills.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the United Krobo Foundation, was of the view that “whether there is an MoU or not, there is the need for stakeholders to go back to negotiating table following the takeover of our land by VRA.”
In May this year, some youth groups demanded MoU between the Krobos and the VRA from the chiefs of Yilo Krobo and Manya Krobo following the irreversible damages caused by the Akosombo and Akuse Dams.
The groups also demonstrated against the huge electricity bills imposed on their people.
GNA