Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, is demanding the withdrawal of electricity bills sent to one of his private properties in Jachie, also in the region.

According to him, the recent bill from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) was fraudulent, claiming it did not reflect the reading on the meter.

Speaking at a press conference in Kumasi on April 25, he said “the actual reading on the meter as of yesterday was 23,498 units. The bill that they submitted which definitely the meter would have been read far earlier is 25,355 units a whopping difference of more than 1,900 units."

“I am asking ECG to withdraw, retract and apologise to me else I will do the needful to redeem my reputation," Mr Osei-Mensah said.

This comes after a staff of the electricity distribution company threatened to disconnect the residence of the Minister if he failed to pay the debt.

Read also: ECG workers threaten to disconnect power from Ashanti Regional Minister’s home

The staff's demand follows a misunderstanding between the company and the Minister, which escalated after a Regional manager of ECG was arrested on the orders of the Minister for disconnecting electricity to the Kumasi Technical University.

Mr Osei Mensah maintains that the recent bill was an attempt to tarnish his image.

He adds that despite the company being irregular with the submission of bills to his private property, he always ensured that he paid bills regularly.

As such he said, “I am also telling ECG to withdraw the fraudulent bill they have sent to me and bring the actual bill because I am responsible and I honour my obligation."

“They didn’t come to tell me to go and pay. On 2nd April, I paid GH₵1,600 because I know always it is less than even GH₵1,500. Most often less than GH₵1,000 because nobody stays there so it’s only light that I use except on a few occasions when I decide to visit my hometown.”

Background

This tension between the workers of the ECG and Mr Osei-Mensah comes after the Ashanti Regional Minister reported the Ashanti East General Manager, Ing. Michael Wiafe, to the police for refusing to reconnect power supply to the Kumasi Technical University after cutting supply to the school for owing GH₵600,000.00.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, April 16, PUWU stated that the university had been served with a notice demanding payment of their debt and outlining the consequences of not negotiating for payment.

The statement further revealed that the University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Dumor, engaged Ing. Wiafe to negotiate payment terms since they could not afford the 75 percent upfront payment required for re-connection.

• Read also: Ashanti Region ECG Workers Union ban 4 general managers from attending REGSEC meetings

The Police at Zongo station in Kumasi demanded that Ing. Wiafe makes a formal appearance and subsequently informed him of charges pressed against him by the Regional Minister for causing public unrest.

The statement mentioned that Ing. Wiafe was granted self-recognition bail.

However, the PUWU described the actions of the Ashanti Regional Minister as unacceptable and a clear case of abuse of power.

• Read also: PUWU condemns arrest of ECG Ashanti East GM for disconnecting power to KTU

Members of the Senior and Junior Staff Unions of ECG in the region have since demanded an apology from the Regional Minister for mistreating the area General Manager, Ing Wiafe.

Subsequently, the ECG banned four of its general managers from honouring a Regional Security Council (REGSEC) invitation extended by Mr Osei-Mensah to the power distributor.

The workers said the move is among several others adopted until the Regional Minister apologises for the abuse of power.

• Read also: Ashanti Regional Minister defends arrest of ECG boss, rejects calls for apology

But Mr Osei- Mensah, said he cannot comply with demands for an apology from the staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for performing his duties.

According to him, the ECG had agreed with the Kumasi Technical University to settle their debt within an agreed time-frame.

Mr Osei Mensah argued that his decision to report the ECG Ashanti East General Manager, Michael Asomani Wiafe to the police was due to the management's breach of agreement in a payment schedule with the university.

Meanwhile, ECG Ashanti East said the school made part payment a day after the disconnection.