Oforikrom residents diverting solar panels to charge mobile phones at a fee

Some residents of Oforikrom near Berna Nkwanta in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region are removing government’s solar panels erected to power streetlights in their community to their homes.

These individuals have removed the solar panels and placed some on their roofs in their houses to charge people’s mobile phones for a fee.

The Assembly Member of Woman No Good Electoral Area, Mr. Suleman Azure, who confirmed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said about two week ago, he had information that the solar panels provided by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in areas where there were no electricity, some people from Oforikrom had removed them from their original places.

He described the situation as unlawful because it was state property.

“We know some of the solar panels are not functioning, but you have no right to just get up and do things on your own without seeking the authority that be,” he said.

Mr. Azure expressed worry that apart from the illegality, most of the people engaged in the act did not even have any knowledge about the installation of these panels.

He said: “As an assembly man my concern is to protect property, lives and ensure sanity in my electoral area.

“I have tasked my unit committee members to comb the community and get me the list of all those involved and then we will follow up and handle it appropriately. I have also reported the matter to COCOBOD, and they told me their task force would come around.

“With those involved, we have told them the consequences of what they are doing, few of them have complied and they have stopped, you know obviously you will have the recalcitrant ones who will want to test the law, for those ones, when the time comes they will face full rigorous of the law,” Mr. Azure added.

Source: GNA