Report ECG officials demanding bribe before fixing meters – Energy Commission Board Member
Mr. Chuckles Kofi Wayo, a Board Member of the Energy Commission, has said it is illegal to pay for electricity meters to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
He, therefore, urged the general public to report any Electricity Company official who demanded money before fixing meters at their homes.
Mr. Wayo said this at a meeting with the Sekondi-Takoradi Electrical Contractors Association on the draft Wiring Regulations in Takoradi on Thursday.
Mr. Wayo said the enforcement of the law would depend on the cooperation from GECA and charged them to position themselves well to enable them to secure more wiring contracts.
Mr. Solomon Sarpong, a Senior Technical Programme Officer of the Energy Commission, indicated that, households would be obliged to contract certified electrical contractors to wire their houses when the new wiring regulation is passed into law next year.
Mr. Sarpong, however, warned that any household that refused to contract certified electrical contractors to wire their homes would not have power supply from the utility service providers.
He said the draft wiring regulation is at the Cabinet level and expressed the hope that parliament would pass it into law early next year to make it workable.
He therefore charged Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA) to put its house in order to make them more credible and secure contracts from both public and private institutions as well as individuals.
The GECA was also urged to desist from using inferior electrical materials for wiring since it had been a major cause of fire outbreaks in the country.
Mr. Sarpong indicated that the new draft wiring regulation had captured issues such as the person who carried out the wiring, how it was executed and materials used for wiring so that quality materials and approved procedures were adhered to strictly.
He said the draft regulation had made it obligatory for the Commission to give approval for certification to electrical contractors so that only qualified personnel would be permitted to undertake wiring and invariably help eliminate quack electricians from the system.
The Senior Technical Programme Officer said six months after the wiring regulation is enacted, certification for electricians would be enforced to the letter.
To ensure efficiency, Mr. Sarpong said, certified electrical supervisors would undertake periodic inspection of households to audit wiring installations so that those that did not meet specification would be disqualified.
The Commission will publish lists of certified electrical contractors in the national dailies to eliminate quacks from the system.
“All households that were wired about 10 years ago would also be inspected and if there is the need for re-wiring, it would be recommended by the inspection team,” Mr. Sarpong noted.
“All this move is aimed at curbing frequent fire outbreaks in the country and avoiding inferior materials being used for wiring to ensure sanity in the system,” he said, adding that “At the moment, there are a lot of lapses in the wiring system and that does not make us safe at home.”
He charged GECA members in the Region to make the necessary inputs into the draft wiring regulations to make it a holistic document.
Mr. John Bright Takyie, Secretary of the Sekondi-Takoradi Electrical Contractors Association, commended the Commission for coming up with the wiring regulation and pledged the commitment of the Association to make inputs into it.
Source: GNA