The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has remained steadfast in his position despite calls from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Workers’ Union for an apology over the arrest of their manager, Mark Wiafe Asomani.
Defending his actions, the minister clarified that he instructed the police to arrest the Ashanti East Manager of the ECG for security reasons.
Addressing the matter at a press conference in Kumasi, he emphasized that his actions were within the scope of his responsibilities and did not contravene any laws.
“Do I have to apologise for doing my security work? What I want to tell you is that I asked the police to invite Ing Mark Asomani Wiafe on security grounds because of the happenings in the electricity sector in the region and the fact that a taskforce can always come from outside to disconnect without the proper information.
“What is ironic is that they tell me that they are not under me and for that matter, I cannot tell them what to do but they want to tell me how to execute my security responsibilities as enshrined in the Securities and Intelligence Act of 2020, Act 10(30),” citinewsroom.com quoted the minister as having said.
He also criticized the ECG for disregarding warnings from the security council to ensure uninterrupted power supply at the residences of the president and vice president during their visits to the Ashanti Region.
Additionally, the minister refuted claims suggesting that certain ECG managers are members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), underscoring the importance of adhering to security responsibilities as mandated by law.
He further highlighted existing agreements between the ECG and the Kumasi Technical University aimed at resolving the university’s outstanding debts.