Somanya On Fire Over ECG Bills

By Isaac Akwetey-Okunor

Somanya — The youth of Somanya in the Eastern Region, yesterday took the law into their own hands, by burning lorry tyres and blocking some of the roads in the town, in protest against the arrest of Mr. Jonas Tetteh (a.k.a Dendenden), Assembly Member for the Sawer Electoral Area.

Last week Friday, a section of the townsfolks invaded the local offices of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), and caused damage to assets of the state-owned utility company. The residents accused the ECG of giving them outrageous bills, which did not match the actual power they had consumed.

The police, after bringing the situation under control, arrested Jonas Tetteh on Monday for allegedly instigating the residents to invade the ECG offices. The arrest, The Chronicle understands, infuriated the people who poured onto the streets yesterday.

The police, in response, fired tear gas, including warning shots, to disperse the rampaging youth, who were bent on causing mayhem. A gentleman from Salosi, a suburb of Somanya, was reportedly hit by stray bullets and was rushed to hospital. Seven of the demonstrators were arrested.

Meanwhile, Kloma Hengme, a Krobo advocacy and heritage association, has appealed to President Akuffo Addo to, as a matter of urgency, intervene to forestall the breakdown of security, law and order in Krobo.

"The President must also set up a committee of enquiry to look into the claims by the residents of Krobo, concerning the alleged fraudulent documentation of the ECG billing system, and the manipulation of meter boards by the ECG. This is to bring a lasting solution to the recent disturbances and anarchy that has been going on in Krobo for some time now," they said.

In a related development, the police have issued a statement, assuring the public that they have managed to bring the situation at Somanya under control. The following is the full statement. The police administration wishes to assure the public that calm has been restored at Somanya. The police further wishes to inform the public that adequate security measures have been put in place to forestall further breach of the peace in the area.

The administration has deployed scores of police officers, including contingents of action units of the Formed Police Unit, SWAT and Counter Terrorism units, to Somanya to maintain law and order.

It would be recalled that some irate youth of Somanya vandalised the Somanya Police Station and other properties on the morning of Monday 29th May 2017, following the arrest of Ebenezer Jones Adamatey, Assembly Member for the area, who is suspected to have led irate youth of the town to cause unlawful damage to the Somanya office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Friday 26th May, 2017.

Six other persons have also been arrested to assist with police investigations.

The police, therefore, urge the public to report any suspected breach of the peace and criminal activities to the nearest police station, police social media platforms, or call 18555 and 0302-773906.

The public is also entreated to assist police with relevant information to recapture four suspected criminals, who were detained in Somanya police cells, but were freed by the irate youth in the Monday incident.

They are Kwesi Danso, remanded for defrauding by false pretences; Kwesi Amoako, remanded for stealing; Nicholas Tetteh and Tetteh Damatey both of whom have been charged for stealing.

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