Lower Manya MP denies accusation
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, has denied accusations by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to the effect that he has connected power to one of his properties illegally.
Mr Terlabi said he was a man of integrity and principle, and would, therefore, not engage in illegal actions.
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“I want to advise and appeal to the ECG to be civil in its approach to the customers, including me. I have not stolen ECG power as the company has alleged. The publications about me as a serving MP is very disturbing, painful, hurting, and above all, demeaning to my personality, to say the least,” he said.
“I will also advise ECG to ensure that the facts that it puts into the public domain are well checked and cross-checked so as not to malign anybody as it has been in my case. The company has attacked my personality seriously,” he added.
On Friday, September 16 this year, the ECG issued a writ of summons to the MP for alleged illegal connection of power to his house at Odumase-Krobo.
The company is also on the heels of 15 other customers at Lorlornyo and Kpong, both in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, for also allegedly connecting power illegally.
According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of ECG for Tema Region, Mary Sakyiwaa Mensah, a monitoring team of the company detected that the MP had connected two of his four metres illegally.
Reaction
Reacting to the issues in an interview at Odumase-Krobo, the MP said the allegation was not true but a calculated attempt to tarnish his image.
“This kind of propaganda will not dent my image and reputation in any way,” he said.
He explained that about four months ago, ECG workers came to his premises and installed the prepaid meters.
Mr Terlabi said as political leader of the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency, he welcomed the installation and went ahead to load the prepaid meters with credit.
He said he left for Accra, but was informed a day or two later that the prepaid meters had been removed by unknown people.
He said his brother, who lived in the property, reported the incident to the police and subsequently to the ECG on his instruction.
He said he later instructed some persons to engage the management of the ECG on his behalf to address the issue, but the company rather went to disconnect power to the two separate apartments, and for the past three months he had no power.
“Out of concern for my security and safety as an MP, I consulted some officials of ECG and pleaded with them to allow me extend the power from the main meter of the house to one of the apartments, pending the solution of the stolen meter issue.
“The response was that once the extension was passing through the main meter, which was using direct power from the main meter, I could go ahead and do it, and that was the basis for what the field workers termed as illegal connection,” he said.
He said he would be having a discussion with the management of the power distributor for an amicable solution.
“As a law maker, I need to help to create cordial relationship for peace to prevail,” he stated.