The Management of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company of the Volta River Authority (VRA/NEDCo) in the Upper East has embarked on an exercise to retrieve GHS 125 million from its customers.
Out of the amount, government agencies in the Upper East operational area which covers the Upper East Region and the North East region respectively owed the company GHC55 million.
Mr Eugene Addo, the Upper East Area Manager of VRA/NEDCo said the revenue mobilization drive which commenced on Tuesday, April 18 would span for a month with a target to retrieve about 75 per cent of the debt.
He said the aim of the exercise was not to disconnect the customers “but to collect our money and anyone who refuses to pay whatever is indebted to us will be disconnected as the law demands”.
He said before the exercise began, public awareness through radio stations was created to inform the public of the impending exercise.
He said customers’ failure to settle their debts was affecting the smooth operation of power supply to the company’s operational area.
The staff of the Upper East Region area of VRA/NEDCo on the first day of the exercise disconnected the Bolgatanga Technical University and the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College from the grid for their failure to pay electricity bills.
Mr William Kwame Asare, the Billing and Revenue Protection Officer at the Upper East Area office of VRA/NEDCo said the Bolgatanga Technical University owed the company GHC1,033,000 of electricity.
“We engaged them so that they will make substantial payment, unfortunately, they are unable to meet our request, so, we have no other choice than to disconnect the power supply to the university”, he said.
At the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College, staff of VRA/NEDCo disconnected the school for its failure to settle electricity bills of GHC 878,000 it owed the company for the past three years.
Mr William Sebil, the Principal of the college explained that irregular payment of school fees by the students, coupled with external factors, had made it impossible for the college to settle its electricity debt.
At the time the college was disconnected from the nation’s grid, the students were writing examinations.
Mr Sebil expressed worry that the disconnection of electricity to the college could affect the performance of the students and pleaded for clemency to enable the college to settle the debt later.
The exercise was extended to the Bolgatanga Midwifery Training College, to retrieve an amount of GHC288,540, but the college was spared from being disconnected from the national grid because, Mrs Christian Amalba, the Principal of the college had earlier on entered an agreement with VRA/NEDCo, to pay over a period.
By Joshua Asaah
GNA