Staff of VRA/NEDCo in the Tamale Area Office have issued a statement to immediately withdraw some services in the Tamale Metropolis and its environs.

The decision was taken on March 9, 2022, at an emergency meeting held with members of staff in the Northern Area in Tamale.

According to the resolution issued, the action is necessitated by the continuous attacks and assaults on staff carrying out their legal duties in Tamale.

The resolution highlighted several attacks which have taken place in recent times.

It said on Tuesday March 8, 2022, a group of staff, including casuals workers were attacked at Koblimagua, a suburb of Tamale, when they disconnected someone who had allegedly stolen power from the grid.

One casual staff, Leban Bani Issah, was nearly lynched with cutlasses and other weapons.

"The staff sustained extensive cutlass wounds and bled profusely as a result of the assault. He is currently receiving medical attention," the statement said.

Again, the statement added that on February 2, 2022, Edmond Dakura, a staff with the Loss Control Unit was assaulted and his mobile phone seized and destroyed while on a routine monitoring exercise at Gumbihini, a suburb of Tamale.

According to sources, a group of over 20 people attacked him and one person assaulted him.

The statement cited another attack at Gbolo Kpalsi on February 21, 2022, when the Loss Control Team was attacked because they had tried to disconnect a customer who had reconnected himself after being disconnected for illegal connection.

“The staff had to run for their dear lives and to also save the vehicle from being vandalized," it said.

Also, another assault was meted on one staff, Abdul Washie, who is with the Electrical Maintenance Team by a mob at Gbolo Kpalsi, a surburb of Tamale. He was carrying out a troubleshooting exercise to repair a fault.

"The team had detected an illegal connection in a house and proceeded to disconnect the customer after informing occupants of the house. A group of people attacked them and prevented our vehicle from leaving until the house was reconnected. The energy meter was seized by the group. The team had to flee for their lives," it said.

The statement noted that it took the intervention of the assembly man of the area before the vehicle was released.

These and several other attacks have, thus, informed the decision not to operate within those communities.

It said these attacks have been reported to the police.

It would be recalled that staff of VRA/NEDCo in Tamale withdrew some services in September 2021 following similar attacks and vandalism of the Tamale Area Office by some youth in Tamale.

Staff resumed full services after several engagements and assurances from REGSEC, Chiefs, Assembly members, and other relevant stakeholders on their safety.

Meanwhile, VRA/NEDCo has raised concerns over losses due to power theft in the area.

Already, the company loses 45% (GHS8.4m) of the power sales on monthly basis in Tamale Metropolis alone to power theft.