‘Rambo Style’ Mass Disconnection Not The Best – MP Fires PDS

Member of Parliament (MP) for Lower Manya-Krobo in the Eastern Region, Honorable Ebenezer Okletey Terlarbi has lashed out at the Power Distribution Services (PDS) over what he describes as the ‘Rambo Style’ of mass electricity disconnection exercise being carried out by the company.

PDS is embarking on a mass disconnection exercise with armed Police personnel in Somanya, Odumase Krobo, and its environs.

Hundreds of houses have been disconnected in the ongoing exercise which started on May 13, 2019, from Kpong and Nuaso communities.

The exercise dubbed “Revenue Mobilization exercise”, according to Somanya District Manager of PDS Ing. Edward Ochire has become necessary due to the failure of many residents to pay their electricity bills since 2017.

A situation he said has led to revenue shortfalls of the company.

The mass disconnection exercise has caused fear and panic among residents who do not see the need for the power distributors to be moving along with gun wielding policemen to disconnect consumers for owing.

Speaking on the back of growing agitations in an interview with Class FM, Honorable Ebenezer Okletey Terlarbi has called on the Energy Minister, Mr. John-Peter Amewu to intervene since the actions of the PDS officials are raising unnecessary tension in the communities.

“If you disconnect them they are still owing you but then if you sit down with them and then you agree on some term that will be okay to both parties, I think that is the way to go. But the Rambo style of disconnecting people, bringing fear and whatever, it only raises tension in the community which is not the best”.

“So I believe that the energy Minister should be listening to what we are discussing. I know he is aware, the municipal chief executive is aware and the Regional Minister is aware of all that is going on”, he said.

The MP further pleaded with the government to step in for parties involved to jawjaw and agree on a way out to enable them pay the debts without necessarily cutting their power.

“The government should at least be a little sensitive to my people. We are not saying we will not going to pay electricity bill. What we are saying is that those backlogs, they are huge. Let’s sit down and see how best we can agree to handle the issue about the backlogs”, he noted.