Mr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, General Manager in Charge of External Communications, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has appealed for public support in preventing bushfires to safeguard power supply.
He said as the harmattan season intensified, the ECG had issued an emotional appeal to the public, urging them to actively protect the company’s infrastructure from the threat of bushfires.
Mr Ayiku highlighted the critical role that community involvement played in safeguarding electricity poles and installations to prevent service interruptions.
Speaking to the media in Accra, Mr Ayiku reiterated the impact of frequent interruptions on ECG’s operations, explaining that replacing fire-damaged poles required substantial effort and time, often resulting in prolonged outages.
He noted that the heightened risk of bushfires posed a significant threat to ECG’s service delivery, with an increasing number of electricity poles being affected in operational areas.
“Our operational areas are witnessing bushfires, especially the farming zones, causing substantial damage to our installations, particularly the poles and equipment. This disrupts the power supply and imposes a financial burden on the company as significant resources are expended to replace the affected infrastructure,” Mr Ayiku stated.
The General Manager underscored the importance of community support in mitigating the impact of bushfires, acknowledging that such assistance had already played a vital role in addressing damages.
He implored the public to remain vigilant and promptly report any fires near electricity poles to the Fire Service or the ECG.
Additionally, Mr Ayiku encouraged citizens to extinguish fires when safe proactively.
Expressing concern over bushfires, Mr Ayiku called on opinion leaders, customers, and the public to collaborate with the ECG in curbing this threat.
He addressed farmers, advising them to construct fire belts before clearing and burning their farmlands to prevent uncontrolled fires that endanger electricity infrastructure.
The appeal comes at a crucial time when the harmattan season is at its peak, and the ECG strives to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.
By fostering a sense of shared responsibility, the company aims to enlist public support in preserving critical infrastructure and maintaining the reliability of electricity services.
The ECG hopes this collective effort will contribute to a safer and more reliable power supply system amid challenging environmental conditions.
GNA
KOA/GRB
10 Jan 2024
Caption:
- Mr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku
- Some wooden electric poles destroyed by bushfires
