The Municipal and Regional Fire Service stations in Damongo have had their power supply cut by the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), a subsidiary of the Volta River Authority (VRA), due to unpaid debts.
On Wednesday, April 26, a team of engineers from NEDCo carried out an operation to disconnect power to the fire service institution. DOIII Salisu M. Sirilbaini, the Regional Public Relations Officer of the service, expressed concern that the situation is hindering administrative work.
“We can’t even print a paper as a result of the disconnection of power to our outfit and all efforts to have the power restored by management of NEDCo have proved futile,” he lamented.
According to him, the disconnection of power to the stations has shut down their communication gadgets making it difficult to receive distressed calls from residents.
DOIII Salisu appealed to the electricity company to restore power back to the fire stations to continue with their mandate of fighting fire and saving lives and property.
The lack of electricity is a significant setback for the fire service station, which relies heavily on electricity to power their equipment and maintain a 24/7 response rate to fire emergencies.
The disruption in power supply has created a challenging situation for the fire service, as they now have to rely on alternative sources of energy, such as generators and solar panels.
The unpaid debt owed by the fire service station has led to frustration from the Northern Electricity Distribution Company.
The company has stated that it is standard practice to disconnect power to any institution that does not pay its bills. Despite the explanation, the decision to disconnect power to a fire service station has been met with widespread criticism from the public.
The Regional Fire Commander, DOII John Ankomah-Bonsu, has appealed to NEDCo to reconnect power to the fire station, stating that their operations are being hindered by the lack of electricity.
According to Ankomah-Bonsu, the fire service station is a critical facility that plays a crucial role in saving lives and properties during fire emergencies. He emphasized the importance of the station having uninterrupted power supply to enable them to carry out their duties effectively.
The incident has highlighted the need for better communication between institutions and utility companies to avoid unnecessary power outages that may hinder essential services.
The situation in Damongo serves as a reminder that non-payment of utility bills can have severe consequences, especially for institutions that provide critical services to the public.
It also underscores the need for institutions to prioritize payment of their bills to avoid any disruption in essential services.
Meanwhile, DOII John Ankomah-Bonsu he revealed that management of the service in Accra making frantic efforts to settle their indebtedness with NEDCo.
Is NEDCo following the footsteps of ECG?
The Electricity Company of Ghana embarked on a month long Nationwide Revenue Mobilisation exercise which began on March 20 to April 20, 2023.
The power supply company embarked on this exercise to recover all unpaid bills amounting to GH¢5.7 billion from its customers and to also clamp down on all customers engaging in illegal connection activities.
They announced a 6% commission for whistleblowers for power theft.
Later on, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) begun a similar a national revenue mobilization exercise to collect about GH₵800 million in debts as of January this year, up from GH₵684 million debts that stood on the company’s books as of January 2022.
This was when in September 2022, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) increased the average end-user tariff for water by 21.55 per cent, increasing the debt situation to GH₵800 million.