The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has appealed to the staff of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) in Tamale to pick up their tools and return to work.
The various staff groups of the power distribution company last Wednesday announced the withdrawal of their field services until further notice following the violent attack on their colleagues by some residents of Tamale.
One of the field officers sustained severe machete wounds in an attack perpetuated by some residents of Koblimahagu, a suburb of Tamale when they visited the community for a routine monitoring exercise.
However, the Executive Secretary of PURC, Dr Ishmael Ackah together with other officials of PURC last Friday held closed door meetings with the Management and Staff of NEDCo to mediate the rancor.
Dr Ishmael Ackah in an interview with Journalists urged the union members to reconsider their decisions considering the impact of the services they offer to the public whilst they take steps to address the teething concerns raised during the meeting.
Moving forward, the Energy Economist noted the new legislative instrument (L.I 2413) enacted to regulate the sector will help prevent this persistent acrimony between utility providers and the customers.
“What the L.I 2413 does is that, it comes clear on the responsibilities and rights of consumers and responsibilities and rights of utilities and it also provides avenue to address complaints, provides avenue to seek justice. In the past, only the consumer had the opportunity to report the utility to PURC and at times we surcharge them or maybe order them to do something but with the coming of the new L.I; the utility can also report the consumer” he explained.
PURC intervention
To minimize the incessant attacks on workers of utility providers, Dr Ackah said, “What at PURC we want to do to help minimize the attacks is that, based on the L.I, we’re going to start what we call the Tamale project”.
Through this initiative, he said the PURC will engage more people and inject more resources into its northern regional office to undertake public engagement and sensitization to educate customers on their rights and responsibilities and the need to pay utility bills.
The PURC Executive Secretary further implored the disgruntled staff of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company to use the L.I 2413 to seek redress of their grievance especially the conduct of some of its clients.
He observed some of these things due to lack of understanding and the perception from a section of the public that electricity should be free, adding at times too there are certain category of people and opinion leaders who feel that, “because of my position, I’m not supposed to pay electricity bill and so we need to do a lot of sensitization, engagement, meeting youth groups, traditional authorities and politicians to understand that we use money to produce electricity, so it cannot be free.”
Emmanuel Asare, one of the VRA/NEDCo Union leaders in an interaction with the media said they needed to consult their members before any final decision can be taken to resume work.
He intimated that, “As executives, we lead a group and the decision was collectively taken, so as leaders we cannot answer yes or no without first explaining to the group what transpired between us, and PURC and management then we all have to conclude again and write our resolution to management”.
He however assured a decision would be taken by close of Monday after they [Executives] meet with their members and it will be communicated to the public.
