Traditional authorities of Nhyiaeso, a suburb of Kumasi, have pledged support to the Electricity Company of Ghana to protect lands serving as utility corridors in the area.

Chief of the community, Nana Osei Yaw Frimpong II, assured of ending encroachment of utility corridors and enforcing the right-of-way laws within his jurisdiction.

The Kumasi Nhyiaesohene made the assurances during a courtesy call on the management of the Ashanti West Region on Wednesday, September 2, at the Regional Office in Adum.

“Electricity cannot get to our homes and businesses without poles and transformers, so if you want to install a transformer at designated utility corridors within my jurisdiction and you notice anyone has encroached or if you see anyone selling beside your poles or under your wires, kindly report to my office and we will ensure the right thing is done," he pledged.

The support from the traditional authority comes at a time when utility companies like the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Grid Company Ltd (GRIDCo) are battling the menace of heavy encroachment on lands earmarked for the construction of electricity infrastructure.

The visit afforded the chief the opportunity to interact with Ashanti West Management and deepen existing relations between ECG and traditional authorities in the Ashanti Region.

Nana Osei Yaw Frimpong II also commended ECG for improved service delivery in areas under his jurisdiction, like Ahodwo, parts of Adum, Darkodwom, Danyame, Ridge, KATH, Ridge Condos, and surrounding areas.

“Electricity has become a necessity for every household, and without electricity, businesses and, to a larger extent, the economy will collapse, so as traditional authorities, we have to support you to do your work diligently. If the light stays on, our people will also benefit tremendously, and I must say that in recent times, the power has been stable, so keep up the good work," he said.

Ing. George Amoah, General Manager for ECG Ashanti West Region, welcomed the assurance and promised further collaboration with traditional authorities to serve the region.

“As the Kumasi Nhyiaesohene, your territory is critical to our operations, as it is located in the central part of Kumasi, with individuals encroaching on our right of way with their buildings. These individuals end up writing to ECG to relocate our infrastructure at an extra cost to the company, so pledging to support us and ending this menace is a step in the right direction," he said.

Ing. Amoah noted that the electricity distributor is fully aware of the load growth in areas like Ridge, Danyame, Ahodwo, and the Adum Central Business District, with numerous high-rise buildings replacing smaller buildings, and is assured of an improved power supply for commercial activities in the area.

Ing. Amoah announced that ECG has upgraded some power transformers at the Ridge Bulk Supply Point, and GRIDCo is currently upgrading their power transformer as part of efforts to meet the growing demand of power in the greater Kumasi and Ashanti regions.

“We have also started a project to install two new 500 kVA transformers within the Adum Central Business District to meet the growing demand for electricity in Adum," he added.

The electricity is warning against illegal connection and power theft in the region, as these resources are needed to improve power supply.