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Regional News of Monday, 28 March 2022

    

Source: Michael Oberteye

'We’ll eliminate you' – MCE, ECG manager, chiefs, threatened over Krobo prepaid meters

Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh

Some faceless persons are threatening bloodshed over the Electricity Company of Ghana's (ECG) planned prepaid metering system in the Krobo District.

A group calling itself the Invisible Eye Group with claims of presence in Yilo Krobo, Manya Krobo, Nkurakan, Ashaiman, and Tema is accusing the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh, the ECG manager, chiefs, Assembly members and political office holders of receiving bribe from the power distributors to grease their prepaid metering exercise, threatening to eliminate them one by one if they go ahead with the deployment of the meters.

The message intercepted by this reporter details what the group calls its grievances regarding the planned exercise, urging the ECG to consult widely with its customers in the area before making a decision on the matter or risk being killed together with their families.

The group also accused its targets of failing to address the plight of persons shot by police during the 2019 protests over concerns against the operations of the ECG.

“Mr. MCE/ECG manager/Assembly members, it has come to our notice that you and your men have taken money from the people of ECG and have planned to give prepaid meters to the people in town.

“I want to ask, where were you when innocent people have lost their lives and others have become deformed and physically challenged,” the faceless persons quizzed.

The United Krobo Foundation (UKF) has been at the forefront against the activities of the ECG in the area, leading countless demonstrations and protests against the power distributors.

The so-called Invisible Eye Group which appears to be directing its message directly at the MCE warned him to consult the UKF whom it described as “the rightful people” before progressing with any intentions.

They asserted: “For the sake of peace, tell your bribe givers to hold on and consult United Krobo Foundation before anything and come in agreement with them. They are the rightful people who started handling this issue for the good people of Krobos.”

The letter further apparently threatened the Assembly chief: “I want to assure you that failure to do this, we are going to eliminate you and your family, the Assembly members and chiefs and any ECG workers one by one and if possible, anybody who holds political positions on this Krobo land…We shall kill you one by one. I mean no one will be spared and tell the chiefs that we are coming after them.”

The group while warning its targets whom it aligned with the governing NPP that the police cannot protect them, said they will be hunted whether the NPP is in or out of government.

Meanwhile, MCE for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh when contacted confirmed sighting the missive but refrained from speaking on the issue.

He however urged the security agencies to not relent on the information but conduct deep investigations into the purported threats.

Odumase District Police Commander, Supt. Doris Akua Grant also declined comment on the matter when reached for her response.

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, began a comprehensive education of its customers in parts of the Krobo District ahead of the commencement of the deployment of prepaid meters to the area in about a week’s time.

Over 3000 meters were surveyed during the ECG’s pre-installation survey carried out in the area from December 2021 for the prepaid meter installation.

Tensions between the ECG and its customers in the Krobo area have remained on a knife-edge since 2017 over accusations of overbilling, accumulated bills, estimated bills, and non-reading of meters.