General News of Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Source: peacefmonline
President Mahama
Some angry customers of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), at the Madina Estate within the La-Nkwatanang Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, have vowed to vote against President John Dramani Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) party in upcoming general elections if nothing is done over the high billing of electricity consumption.
According to the angry residents, bills charged them by the ECG which they described as outrageous were not only costing them their living standard but affecting their children’s education.
While in a chat with this reporter following a sudden blackout over the weekend, some of the residents lamented that despite the huge sums of money spent on electricity bills, they hardly get a regular supply of energy.
Those who use the post-paid meters said they have recently been given bills between GH500 and GH3000.
The residents, some of whom claimed to be sympathizers of the ruling NDC party, said they would change their mind in the upcoming elections if nothing is done on high bills of electricity.
“My brother, we are suffering, the truth must be told, the bills are just too much. I am using just a table-top fridge, fan and bulbs for two rooms, but the bills jump from GH70 to GH130. As if that is not enough, now they bring me over GH200, this is very bad for a poor Ghanaians like me,” Mr. Dan Kwabla Nukpenu, resident, lamented.
Another resident identified himself as Nii Odoi, said he decided not to switch on some of his electrical gadgets because of what he described as insensitive bills being charged on him by the ECG.
He claimed, though he uses a refrigerator, ceiling fans, and others, he used to pay bills between GH120 and GH500.00 for just two weeks on lights.
Ms. Bernice Hottor, a beautician who owns a hairdressing salon at Rawlings Circle at Madina Estate, charged the government to, as a matter of urgency, do something about the situation so as not to collapse small scale businesses.
According to her, her company nearly collapsed last year when the energy crisis was at its peak “and I cannot go through such a bitter experience again with these high bills when I don’t get much returns.
She felt the government was being economical with the truth about the country’s energy, and called on president Mahama to stop in and help small business enterprises in the country over the abnormal billing situation.
Other residents who shared similar frustration also called on the President to intervene or risk being brought down in the upcoming elections because, in their view, governments are voted into power to help alleviate the plight of citizens but not to overburden them with bills and other high taxes.
They threaten that, should the government fail or refuse to do something about it, and they would vent their anger by voting against President Mahama in the upcoming general elections.