The Minister for Energy Peter Amewu has described the billing system used by the Power Distribution Services, PDS, for the residents of Krobo Odumase as "nonsense".
According to Peter Amewu, the residents have the right to ask questions if they notice anomalies in their billing system from the PDS.
Visiting the bereaved family of a 14-year-old boy killed in the clash between residents and the police, the Energy Minister said, "If you are billing somebody on the wrong meter of cause you have every justification to demand for the right thing to be done I support the people of Krobo land in demanding their rights, I support you hundred per cent because I will not tolerate such a nonsense, I have seen it the bill is not working and you giving me money to pay I have every right to query the authority that is responsible, I want to assure the family that we are going to investigate this to the later, I have already stated that we brought in PDS to come and change the system if they are not able to change the system I said it on several platforms and I am maintaining it here again we will as well ask them to leave, we are not bringing them into this system to continue adding to the existing malpractices and the nonsense that we have.."
Calls to investigate clashes unnecessary
The Member of Parliament of Lower Manya Krobo, Ebenezer Tei Larbi has described the call on the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery by the governing NPP to investigate the recent clash between residents and the police as unnecessary, waste of time and diversionary.
This follows a mass disconnection exercise at Manya Kpongunor in the Lower Manya Krobo district which resulted in the clash between residents and police after an attack of a PDS staff embarking on a disconnection exercise.
During the clash, one person died and others sustained various degrees of injuries.
The MP in an interview with Starr FM said: The call on the Interior Minister to investigate the clashes is unnecessary, waste of time and diversionary''.
He emphasized that ''whatever happened that led to the shooting had nothing to do with the PDS disconnecting homes. It was a visit by a chief from lower Manya to the MCE's office. The chief indicated that he has spoken to the MCE on phone and asked him to join him to find a way to get PDS to restore power to their community''.
PDS to install prepaid meters for residents
Management of Power Distribution Service (PDS) says it will consider installing prepaid meters for residents in the Lower Manya Krobo municipality as a way of curbing frequent agitations between members of the municipality and the power company.
A meeting between the assembly members, PDS and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) agreed on a roadmap to address the recurring clashes between community members and staff of PDS over non-payment of bills.
Protests turned fatal when residents agitated over a PDS disconnection exercise in the area.
PDS after a data cleaning exercise reviewed the GHc 195 million arrears owed it by the community to GHc 84 million. The parties among other things also agreed on a rescheduling payment plan for customers in the municipality.
In an interview with Citi FM, the Head of Public Relations for PDS, William Boateng said installing prepaid meters will be the best solution moving forward.
“Going forward, we think that the best solution is to get them prepaid meters. We will consider it. But we are talking also about money. The prepaid metering is not free… We will have to access some money before we can go into that particular project.â€
READ ALSO :
-  PDS mass disconnection exercise : 14 year old boy shot dead at Krobo Odumase
- Krobo Odumase clashes : Police secure restraining order to protect PDS premises
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