Prepaid ECG Meter Shouldn’t Devour the Whole Kroboland

When watching from afar the unfolding ‘melodramatic’ situation in the Kroboland, in which the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) strives hard to install prepaid meters as part of management policy advancement, nation-wide, to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in it power distribution and, to enhance revenue generation move, being thwarted at all cost, by affected citizens, The Anchor, thought it was a matter of time and little needed public education, to make cool heads prevail.

But to let matters fester to the point of sawing or cutting down high-tension power transmission cable poles supplying power to the entire enclave by nocturnal bandits, in reprisal to power-outage effected by the ECG since July 27 as bait to retrieving large sums of arrears owed the company by townsfolk, leaves bitter-saliva on the tongue.

Indeed, the paper was even scandalized seeing members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) being used as part of the ECG workforce to the area in addition to the soldiers ‘novel’ duty in providing security in what supposed to be purely interior matters and for the police.

We, however, concede that debilitating disease must be cured with equally bitter medicine, though. Our wonder is why issues were allowed to get to this terrible level, when we have opinion leaders, vis-à-vis, chief and elders of the Kroboland and also have access to dialoguing between the parties.

The paper still suspects there are a lot wrong, maybe, from official utterances made with slippery-tongues, minus, necessary diplomacy that clashes with the manly-egos of section of the townsfolk, who are also deceiving themselves to show where power lies.

But, it is true, is it not, that “eye for an eye could make all of us blind”? And it is trite fact also that, it’s only what dialogue fails to address in the boardroom that often manifests on the battlefield”. But what is manifesting in that area, we believe, is unnecessary.

The Anchor, therefore, still believes diplomacy in a dialogue than entrenched position-taking in the vexed case, could assuage whatsoever differences there may be and, avert destruction of property and may be (God forbid) human life, which has become strange happenings in Ghana for some time, now,

The paper appreciates the initial efforts by leaders from both government and Kroboland sides, but we also suspect matters weren’t talked down well, owing to what is unfolding.

We are urging a quick end to the impasse because, the unfortunate issue here is that Hospitals and businesses are effectively caught in the unnecessary “cross-fire”; and this effectively, might have stressful effect on human life, particularly, the healthcare area.

To compatriots in the Kroboland, The Anchor, can, and is assuring you that, the Prepaid Electricity Meters are no monsters that would devour the whole Kroboland, especially so, when that place wasn’t the first or going to be the last these meters are intended to be installed.

This paper can assuage whatever fear you may have for the prepaid meters; because, there is great number of towns that originally kicked against the Prepaid meters, swearing never to have anything to do with it, but ended up preferring them to the post-paid meter. We couldn’t mention, here, but there is great number of towns in the Greater Accra Region, that, though initially did even more than what you just started, but would today stress they have come to love the prepaid.

When the paper shudder to say in plain words that the alleged continued attacks being visited upon the ECG workers is simply criminal and must be desisted from, we also call on the ECG to continue with the dialogue backed by comprehensible public education on its prepaid meter, not only in the Kroboland, but wherever the ECG believes its meters will go, if not nation-wide.

The Anchor, finally, will alert the ECG, if it’s not yet aware, to make more Prepaid power purchase centres bountifully available and always accessible to the general public – in fact, as nearer as doorsteps, so to make it easily accessible when (automatic) power goes off in late nights, in order to be able to tame our disdain towards the prepaid meters and rather love them.

Source: Anchorghana