- ECG Attributes Adum Power Outages to Theft and Vandalism
- Thieves steal vital parts of 500KVA transformer
- Thousands of customers left without electricity
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Ashanti has attributed recent power outages affecting business owners and residents in the Central Business District of Adum to the theft of electrical equipment and vandalism at a local sub-station.
The company reported that unknown individuals stole critical components of a 500KVA ground-mounted transformer located near the Old Melcom at the market center. Among the stolen items were fuses, cables, distribution pillars, and other essential parts of the transformer.
This illegal act has resulted in a prolonged power outage that has disrupted economic activities in the Adum Central Business Centre.
Benjamin Obeng Antwi, the Public Relations Officer for the Ashanti West Region of ECG, expressed concern over the incident, which has left thousands of power consumers in Adum without electricity. He lamented the growing trend of vandalism targeting ECG installations in the Ashanti region.
“Theft and vandalism of ECG equipment have become rampant. The latest incident involves a 500KVA transformer near the Old Melcom in Adum. Unfortunately, this is not the first time such an act has occurred. Every time we replace a fuse in that area, these individuals come and steal it,” Obeng Antwi stated.
ECG is working diligently to restore power to the affected areas, with engineers working around the clock to complete repairs. “Our engineers are currently working hard to restore power supply to customers before the close of day on Tuesday. We would like to apologize to our affected customers and businesses, and we urge the public to help protect ECG installations,” he added.
The Public Relations Officer described the situation as “unfortunate” and called on the public to take ownership of ECG installations in their communities. He emphasized the importance of vigilance in preventing theft and vandalism.
“Businesses are greatly impacted when transformers are vandalized, as the power supply is cut off. Imagine if there were a hospital in the area how would patients survive? Or a school how would students learn? We kindly urge the public to join us in addressing the problem of transformer theft and vandalism, including the setting of fires to burn poles,” Obeng Antwi said.
He concluded by appealing to the community to take responsibility for the protection of ECG assets: “Without the support of our customers and the general public, we cannot fight this problem alone. Let us be vigilant and take ownership of ECG installations such as poles, cables, and transformers in our respective areas.”
