Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh (Napo,) has said the people of Krobo must be ready to negotiate with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
His comments follow months of hostility between residents and the ECG over the payment of electricity bills.
According to him, whatever the issue is, it is wrong for the people of Kroboland to say they won’t pay electricity bills.
“The Krobo people must be ready to negotiate with ECG. If you want light you should be prepared to pay. No community can say that they won’t pay electricity bills. If you don’t want to pay bills, you won’t get lights,” he said in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen Tuesday.
“Negotiations are underway to resolve the ECG – Krobo people impasse. I am sure of an amicable solution because we have had a meeting with the chiefs in the town and so ECG has to meet with them for them to reach an agreement,” he added
Dr Opoku-Prempeh noted the directive is for ECG to roll out prepaid meters across the enclave after the agreement has been reached.
The people of Kroboland have since the year 2014 engaged in a tussle with ECG over the installation of prepaid meters due to what they described as overbilling among others.
The impasse led to several demonstrations and vandalism against ECG staff and property at Somanya and a further resolution by a youth group not to pay light bills anymore.
Several people were injured and a young man got killed by a bullet during one of the protests against ECG.
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