ECG has Ulterior Motives against Me-MP for Lower Manya Krobo fight back

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Lower Manya Krobo Constituency in the Eastern Region, Hon Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, has dispelled the allegation that he is engaged in illegal connection of power from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

According to him, the allegations by the ECG are completely falsehood and that he has not sourced power illegally and connected to his House.

In his considered view, the ECG officials have ulterior motives against him for political capitalization, hence the haste to make him look bad and irresponsible citizen in the eyes of the general public

He questioned that, if not for cynical motives to tarnish his hard-earned reputation, why would the ECG officials describe tapping power from his meter to another room in the same house as an illegal connection?

Hon Terlabi was reacting to media reports that the ECG has summoned him and other residents of Krobo-Odumansi for engaging in illegal connection of electricity.

He told EXPRESSNEWSGHANA, in an interview at his Odumase residence that, the ECG management is engaged in politics with national issues by labeling him as power theft.

He said he did not steal power from the ECG and that he is a law-abiding citizen and by extension a lawmaker and would be the last person to engage in illegal connection of power.

“Let me say again and again that I have not stolen power. This is my father’s house, after his death, I took over. The house has many rooms with only one meter. Some time ago, because I was not always at home, I rented one of the rooms out to a tenant. So I separated that room from the main house Metre and acquired a prepared meter for that tenant. This was done years ago before this ECG matter in Odumanse.”

“So, some youth, I suspected to be members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) came to my house in my absence and saw the prepared meter in that rented apartment and went out to claim to the media that I have betrayed the people, “ he explained.

Hon Terlabi said the ECG officials have rather misconduct as management of a state institution that is supposed to respect laws.

He said if not for ulterior motives why would the ECG officials come to remove power from his duly paid meter and mischievously call the media to publish him as a power thief?

“How do I become a power thief by connecting power from my meter to another room for which I will pay for the Bills? My security too is important. I must take my security seriously, this place becomes dark whenever I am not around and I have had my car battery stolen several times,” he added.

Some residents who spoke to EXPRESSNEWSGHANA collaborated with the MP and said the ECG is blowing the matter out of proportion.

Per their accounts, the MP did not tap power illegally from the ECG sources, but simply reconnected one room to the main meter in his house, so they were surprised to hear in the media that, the MP has connected power illegally.

One resident who identified himself as Teye, asked rhetorically, “so can the ECG say that they have separate meters for each office at their headquarters or their offices are on one meter.?”

“ So when I connect power from my meter to another room and pay bills on the meter, it is illegal? so that is what the ECG wants to tell us the citizens,?’ he further quizzed.

The people in the Odumanse-Krobo area have since 2021 engaged in a brawl with ECG over the installation of prepaid meters due to what they described as overbilling among others.

The impasse led to several protests and vandalism against ECG staff and property in Odumanse and a further resolution by some residents not to pay power bills anymore.

Some residents have lost their lives as a result of the resistance against the ECG moves to install the prepared meters.

The ECG commenced the installation of prepaid meters in houses within the Krobo area in the Eastern Region some weeks ago accompanied by military and police personnel.