Residents of Apese, a farming community within the Agomeda Electoral Area in the Shai-Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana are begging the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to make the acquisition of meter more affordable for pro-poor communities like theirs.
It costs an applicant at Apese GHc400 to procure a meter from the ECG, and considering the low income level of the people, they would rather the ECG beat the cost down to GHc250 to enable all the about 100 residents in the village get connected to the national grid.
Isaac Nartey, an elderly man at Apese, told energynews.com at the village on Sunday that the former Assemblyman for the Agomeda Electoral Area, Dennis Nartey, in mid 2018, began the meter procurement processes for the village.
“At our first meeting with some personnel from the ECG, we were told that it would cost each applicant GHc250 to acquire a meter. However, we were told that if we delayed in the payment and the PDS took over in 2019, the cost would increase to GHc400.
“In fact, this is a poor community and so we could not raise the initial GHc250. So last year, the Dodowa District Manager of ECG came here and told us the new cost for a meter and drawing of lines to our homes is GHc400 per applicant, and this is too much for us at Apese,” Isaac Nartey explained.
Only 10 people among the 100 residents have borrowed money from other sources to pay the GHc400 to get the new ECG meter to see the first light lit at Apese.
“We want the government to capture us under its rural electrification project, or it asks the ECG to consider our income level and reduce the cost drastically for us. We want electricity too,” Mr Nartey pleaded.
At Agomeda where energynewsafrica.com met Dennis Nartey, the former Assemblyman for the Electoral Area, on the matter, he corroborated the stance of the people of Apese.
“When I began the process for the people and the cost later changed, I contacted the DCE and MP to intervene but the ECG did not soften its stance. And so like the community elder told you, only 10 people have struggled to raise the GHc400, but I wish the ECG could consider the low-level income of my people to give them electricity,” he also pleaded.
Noah Osabutey, the incumbent Assemblyman for Agomeda Electoral Area, told energynewsafrica.com that he was sad such a pro-poor community like Apese would be charged GHc400 each for a meter acquisition.
The applicants that could pay the GHc400 but were unable to pay a GHc50 service charged by personnel from the Energy Commission for inspection of wiring have their faith hanging.
“They will not be connected until they are able to pay the Energy Commission’s service charge before their house wirings would be inspected before connecting them to the national grid,” Mr Osabutey said.
The ECG would be at Apese next Monday to connect all the applicants who had completed all payments.
Until then, the residents of Apese would have to endure their daily traveling to Agomeda, about three kilometers away, to charge their cell phones and view their cherished television programmes.
But, Noah Osabutey said he was looking forward to receiving handing over notes from his predecessor to interrogate the Apese electrification project.
