Krobo blackout: ECG restores power after IGP’s visit

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has restored power to the Lower Manya and Yilo Krobo communities in the Eastern Region.
It follows a recent visit by the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, to the area.

As part of efforts to defuse the rising tension in the area, the IGP and his lieutenants visited Odumase Krobo and had talks with the paramount chiefs of Yilo and Manya Krobo traditional areas, Nene Oklepeme Nuer Annobaa Sasraku II and Nene Sakite II, respectively; and later met the two youth groups on Friday, 10 December 2021.

Ghana’s police chief warned troublemakers in the Krobo areas that he will make sure they do not have peace even in their death.

He urged the youth to be of good behaviour but served a stern warning to those fomenting trouble among them.

That part of the country has been plunged into darkness for the past few days following the relocation of the Somanya office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to Juapong in the Volta Region over security concerns.

Even though ECG explained, through a press statement that the blackout was a result of sabotage by some “unscrupulous persons”, a youth group called the Coalition of Krobo Youth, held a press conference recently at which it said the outage was an “intentionally” planned punitive measure.

ECG relocated its office with the reason that its workers felt threatened by the unfriendly activities of a separate youth group called United Krobo Foundation.

There has been no love lost between the townsfolk and the state power distributor over the past few years in relation to hefty electricity bills issued to the locals.

A few years ago, this sparked an anti-ECG demonstration that led to the death of a teenager.

In recent weeks, however, the two youth groups have been trading words over ECG’s presence in the area.

While the United Krobo Foundation held a demonstration at which its members insisted ECG leave the area, the Coalition of Krobo Youth disagreed.