The Electricity Company Ghana (ECG) Tema North Manager, Shirley T. Asomani-Wiafe, has assured residents in the Tema metropolis of the company's commitment to upgrade and replace all old and worn-out electricity networks.

She said the Tema Region has seen an enormous increase in population, associated with numerous structures which have exceeded the generating capacity of transformers originally installed. 

Mrs Asomani-Wiafe linked some of the intermittent power outages within the Tema Region to overload which had led to the congestion of cable lines, underground cables and transformers. 

The ECG Tema North Manager told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the company had initiated measures to address all electricity issues within the Metropolis, including the repairs and restoration of rotten poles, exposed wires, among others.

Mrs Asomani-Wiafe, who was also reacting to threats issued by Assembly Member of the Black Cat Electoral Area, Joe Amissah, to lead a demonstration against ECG over “everyday light out” in the area, said, “demonstrations would not solve the problem."

She explained that the old network had been there since Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s time, but now it is practically unable to accommodate the current load produced from the communities.

She said in order not to blow the transformers, ECG proceeded to investigate and installed fuses to protect the transformers.

“But if we keep overloading the lines and transformers, automatically, the phase goes off,” citing activities of megachurches and hotels with huge equipment and appliances as part of the problem.

She said ECG had set out to upgrade the network to suit the load produced within the communities. 

She also blamed customers who had encroached on the corridors of ECG lines.

“Apart from endangering their lives, ECG has underground cables, utility lines, and transformers that we visit regularly to investigate faults,” she added.

She assured the public that the upgrading of the network, which had already begun at Community 10, 6, 11, and 12 will soon be extended to other stations within the Tema North boundaries.