Samuel Mahama, Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has called on Parliament to criminalize illegal power connections following a reported GH¢3.7 million loss by the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) due to theft.
Following this, ECG has formed a team to investigate and prosecute offenders, planning to use advanced metering technology to detect bypasses and curb electricity theft.
Energy Analyst Kojo Poku highlighted the financial toll of illegal connections and advocated for a dedicated court to handle such cases.
“We’ve long requested a court to address illegal connections. ECG has faced 19% financial losses, with illegal connections accounting for much of it. A specialized court will enhance ECG’s efforts to recover revenue.”
Mr. Poku also stressed the need for private sector participation in electricity distribution, criticizing the slow response from government-managed systems.
“Private sector involvement, as proposed in Dr. Bawumia’s NPP manifesto, would ensure that every home is metered. The current government-led approach is too relaxed, which has contributed to the problem.”
Some citizens expressed mixed reactions on the criminalization of illegal connections with Univers News. While some supported the move, others pointed out that high credit consumption on ECG’s new meters was pushing people toward illegal connections.
“To me, illegal connections shouldn’t be treated as a crime. The new meters they introduced completely changed the game. In the past, if you bought 100 cedis’ worth of electricity, it would last about a week. Now, it’s exhausting to see it run out in just two or three days. People are forced to resort to illegal connections to survive. Honestly, if I knew someone involved in illegal connections, I wouldn’t have reported them.”
Other residents noted that illegal connections are prevalent, suggesting that more comprehensive inspections could uncover widespread issues in neighborhoods.
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Story by: Promise Yaa Dakey | universnews.ug.edu.gh
