The staff of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has announced the suspension of the withdrawal of their field services in the Tamale metropolis and its environs.
This follows days of intensive stakeholder engagements and the intervention of the Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, the Northern Regional Minister, among others.
The NEDCo staff took the decision to withdraw their field services after their colleagues were allegedly attacked by some residents of Koblimahagu, two weeks ago in the northern regional capital.
However, in a communiqué issued on Thursday (March 17, 2022), the staff resolved to suspend the withdrawal of their field services in Tamale and its adjoining communities with immediate effect for two weeks pending the resolution of some outstanding matters.
According to the statement signed by the Manager for Corporate Communications, Maxwell K. Kotoka, the NEDCo staff insists on the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the attack on the team that was on an official duty to Koblimahagu on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
They are also demanding the provision of military cover for their field operations especially those that hinge on revenue collection and protection, namely, disconnection, monitoring for power theft and the installation of Smart Pre-Payment Meters.
The disgruntled NEDCo workers further want the full assurance and ownership of the security of NEDCo field staff while they are on the field embarking on their legitimate duties.
However, the case of the community in the question [Koblimahagu] is under further review as deeper engagements are underway.
“While management wishes to assure the general public that it would not rest on its oars in getting the suspension converted into a permanent closure, we will to court public support and protection for NEDCo staff while they are about their legitimate field duties, cardinal parts of which are monitoring to prevent and or arrest power theft and the installation of Smart Pre-Payment Meters which have been proven to be less susceptible to manipulation and power theft” the statement added.
