The exercise would cover all categories of customers in arrears including state-owned enterprises, ministries, departments and agencies, and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, it said.

A statement issued by NEDCo in Tamale and copied to the Ghana News Agency said: “Special security arrangements will be put in place to arrest and prosecute anyone, who interferes with the exercise.”

“Any person(s) identified to be engaged in illegal connections or reconnections will equally be dealt with in accordance with the law.”

“Accordingly, NEDCo’s Head Office and area offices will be closed temporarily to allow for the full engagement of all staff, including top management, in this exercise.”

However, the customer service centres, zonal offices and third-party vendors would remain open to address customer concerns, including reconnections.

The statement said “recalcitrant customers’’, who had refused to redeem their indebtedness to the Company after they were served with demand notices, would be arraigned.

It entreated those in arrears to pay their bills immediately to avoid disconnection and payment of reconnection penalties.

The ECG called for cooperation from the public to ensure a successful exercise, bearing in mind that “…we can only serve you well when you pay your bills.”