The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO) Limited, has called on communities in the Ho Municipal area to help protect its high tension poles against encroachment by sand-winners, estate developers and people looking for scrap metals. This followed large scale sand winning a few feet from a 69 kilo volt pole on the Akrofu-Bame road in the Ho municipal area and the vandalising of some of it. Mr Albert Quainoo, Head of Public Relations, GRIDCO, made the call, when officials of GRIDCO and the Electricity of Ghana (ECG) conducted newsmen round the area, where people win sand in the night. He said by law, there should be a 50 feet exclusive area around the supply towers. Mr Quainoo said the whole of the Volta region, from Ho up to Kpassa in the north, would be without electricity for as long as it takes to replace any of the towers that would collapse. He said that would mean that all productive activities in that part of the region would come to a standstill and many lives may be lost. Mr Quainoo expressed concern with the development of structures very close to the poles and cited for example, the New York City Spot and Guest House near the Ho Polytechnic. He said the lives of the patrons were in grave danger should that tower collapse. An official of GRIDCO said the owner of the Spot was warned to stop the development but persisted and even extended his structure to just a few feet from the tower. He was said to have travelled when the team called at his place. Meanwhile the Volta Regional Police Commander Mr David Ampah-Bennin said one man has been arrested by the Police in an operation against those winning sand close to the GRIDCO towers on the Akrofu-Bame road and was helping in investigations. He said the Police would mount 24 hour surveillance in the area until further notice, to stop the development of a “mafia” type of activities in the area. Mr Ampah-Bennin advised land owners and chiefs to seek clearance from the Ho Municipal assembly before giving out land for sand winning. Source: GNA