Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare has cautioned residents of Lower Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo Municipalities of the Eastern Region to desist from acts of vandalism and live in peace with officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The police chief warned troublemakers in the Krobo areas to stop lawlessness or face the full force of the Ghana Police Service.
There has been tension between the youth of both communities and the officials of the ECG after they accused the later of wrong billing, which according to them, has resulted in high electricity bills.
This apparently forced ECG to relocate its Somanya office to Juapong in the Volta Region over security concerns because its workers felt threatened by the unfriendly activities of the Krobo youth.
Trouble ensued, leading to the death of a teenager when that part of the country was plunged into darkness for the past few days.
Even though ECG in a statement explained that the blackout was a result of sabotage by some “unscrupulous persons”, a youth group called the Coalition of Krobo Youth, held a news conference recently at which it said the outage was an “intentionally” planned punitive measure.
Earlier another group called the United Krobo Foundation organised a demonstration against the introduction of prepaid electricity meters in the Krobo areas.
According to them, the installation of prepaid metres will further aggravate tensions between the people and ECG, endangering the lives of workers of the state-own power distribution company.
As part of efforts to defuse the rising tension in the area, IGP Dr Dampare visited the two communities together with some police management board members on Friday, to assess the security issues in the towns.
This was after more police officers were deployed to both towns to forestall further disturbances.
Addressing the youth of the town after engaging the Paramount Chiefs of Yilo and Manya Krobo traditional areas, Nene Oklepeme Nuer Annobaa Sasraku II and Nene Sakite II and other stakeholders, the IGP called on the youth to put a stop to acts of vandalism as the police are on standby to deal with anyone who will be found culpable.
He added that should the youth fail to heed his caution; the police will do everything within their power to prevent any disturbances.
“If you have any mindset for destruction, I want to urge you to stop it because you will be destroying your own future and if you see someone with a mindset of destruction and you don’t advise them to stop it, whatever he or she destroys will come and affect you.
“If you choose not to stop it or tell the others to stop it, we (Police) will come for them, and we will do it in a manner and a way that nobody will appreciate it”.
The IGP reiterated that the police administration is bent on policing responsibly to maintain the peace of the country.
ECG had assured that it is committed to a peaceful resolution of the impasse and improvement in revenue collection in the Krobo area to enable it to deliver on its mandate of providing quality, safe and reliable electricity services
