We May Withdraw Soldiers Deployed for Prepaid Metre Installation – Yilo Krobo MCE

The Yilo Krobo Municipal Security Council has given an indication that the military detachment currently accompanying engineers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the ongoing prepaid meter installation exercise in the Krobo enclave may be withdrawn.

50 armed military personnel have been deployed to assist workers of the ECG to undertake the exercise in the Krobo enclave.

Although the ECG says the armed military personnel are only providing technical support, residents and some traditional leaders of Lower Manya Krobo have raised concerns over the soldiers.

In an interview with Citi News, the Municipal Chief Executive for Yilo Krobo, Eric Tetteh indicated that the military deployment may be revised only if the safety of ECG workers can be assured.

“The Krobo Foundation and the ECG agreed that the solution to the unrest was a prepaid meter where nobody will come and read your meter. The issue about the involvement of the military was because, during the demonstration in 2017 which led to the death of someone, people said it was the police who shot those people.”

“And so people also have problems with the police, and because of that, we decided that the military should come and support. But as we speak, we realize that especially the chiefs believe that it is not dignified that just fixing of prepaid meters is done with the military with guns and other things, and it makes people see us as difficult people and if that’s what the chiefs feel then at least we have to do something about it.”

He added, “I am meeting the chiefs on Tuesday so that when we all agree that, we are going for the prepaid, but it’s the military that we don’t want. Then all that the ECG people want is the assurance of their security so that the chiefs and the clergy can vouch for their security to make the exercise peaceful. So if that is the worry of the chiefs, and they can also guarantee that they as chiefs and church leaders can ensure that the ECG workers are not attacked in any way, why not [we can recall the soldiers].”