Tamale residents petition minister over NEDCo’s night operations and military involvement
Over a hundred residents of the Northern Region on Friday staged a peaceful protest in Tamale against the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) over what they described as unlawful and unethical operations.
The demonstrators, made up of men, women, and children, marched through the principal streets of Tamale carrying placards with messages such as “Stop Night Disconnections,” “Electricity Is a Right, Not a Privilege,” and “Withdraw the Soldiers from NEDCo.”
Led by the Assembly Member for Choggu West, Hon. Abubakar Abdul-Halim, the group later presented a petition to the Northern Regional Minister, calling for immediate intervention to address their grievances.
In the petition, the residents accused NEDCo of conducting night-time disconnections in violation of Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) regulations, using armed military personnel during operations, and engaging in unfair billing and customer harassment.
They also alleged that many residents were being forced to pay illegal charges to acquire electricity meters, while others faced disrespectful treatment from NEDCo staff when seeking assistance. The petition further complained about high tariffs and a lack of transparency in service charges.
Among their key demands were:
- An immediate end to night disconnections
- Withdrawal of military personnel from NEDCo enforcement activities
- An independent probe into the role of the Regional Security Council
- A transparent and fair process for acquiring meters
- Improved customer service by NEDCo staff
- A review of electricity tariffs to reflect regional economic conditions
- Regulation and clarification of service charges
Mr Ali Adolf John, the Northern Regional Minister, received the petition and commended the police for maintaining order during the protest. He also praised the demonstrators for their peaceful conduct.
He assured them of engaging all relevant stakeholders, including NEDCo, PURC, and the Regional Security Council, to resolve the issues amicably.
FROM GEOFFREY BUTA, TAMALE
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