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THE Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has warned that it will advocate the suspension or complete withdrawal of the licences of installation and wiring professionals who connive with people to steal power.
This was one of the interventions the power distributor was rolling out to deal with power theft, which was denying the company of resources.
At the graduation ceremony of 608 wiring and installing professionals at the 18th certification awards of the Electrical Wiring Programme (EWP) organised by the Energy Commission, the Managing Director of ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama, said anyone who was also caught in that illegal act would be prosecuted.
He explained that during ECG’s revenue mobilisation exercise last month, it was discovered that several illegal connections in both commercial and residential entities were done in alleged connivance with some electrical contractors, technicians wiring practitioners and in some cases, staff of ECG.
"Consequently, we have resolved to strengthen our surveillance and monitoring and anyone who is found culpable would be dealt with according to the law,” Mr Mahama said in an address read on his behalf by his Deputy in charge of Engineering and Operations, Kojo Obeng Ayensu.
The 608 graduates have been certified to undertake various activities related to electrical wiring and inspection in the country.
The graduates, including two females, undertook various programmes in the certification exams in domestic, commercial and industrial wiring to be awarded the Electrical Wiring Certification Programme organised by the Energy Commission.
The graduation ceremony marked the 10th anniversary of the programme, which was introduced in 2012, following the passage of the Ghana Electrical Wiring Regulations into Act.
It was aimed at guiding professionals who engaged in electrical wiring and installation works in the performance of their duties and to ensure the safety of lives and property.
Noble Akortia was adjudged the Overall Best-Graduating Student for the programme.
Mr Mahama charged the new professionals to always work with the professional code of conduct and approved standards of the Ghana Electrical Wiring Standard (GS1009).
Mr Mahama also hinted that ECG was collaborating with the Judicial Service to expand the specialised utility court to make it more effective in the prosecution of power theft cases.
Currently, a majority of judges trained to handle power theft cases the Daily Graphic gathered have either retired or been transferred, as such, the new collaboration between the two institutions to train more judges to handle such cases.
A Board Member of ECG, Dr Nicholas Kwabena Smart-Yeboah, in his remarks, commended the Energy Commission for the work it had done over the decade to sanitise and strengthen the electrical wiring regime in the country.
The Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Oscar Amonoo-Neizer, in his welcome address, said that the commission has initiated processes to improve the implementation of the electric wiring regulations with the development of standards and codes to facilitate the promotion of electric vehicles in Ghana.
