The Northern Electricity Distribution Company of the Volta River Authority (Nedco VRA) in the Northern regional capital has said it will not restore electricity power to the Dohin Naayili community in the Tamale metropolis until the area is secure after residents chased away and hurled harmful objects at a team of engineers sent to disconnect illegal users.
An operation by the power distributor on Monday to cut power supply to debtors and illegal customers turned hostile after some angry youth stormed out with weapons and chased out the engineers.
A vehicle left behind by the engineers was vandalized and its tyres deflated.
The youth then threatened to assault the team anytime it turn up declaring that residents would not pay electricity bills henceforth.
A team of military and police were later stationed at the office of the VRA after visiting the community on intelligence mission.
Few days after the incident, a provocative rainstorm swept through the metropolis and ruined many properties, toppled utility poles affecting power supply.
The VRA quickly dispatched a team of engineers which restored electricity to the affected areas and excluded the Dohin Naayili community.
Residents of the overcrowded suburb in the city have therefore been living wihout power since.
Abaaba Alhassan, Northern regional public relations officer of the NedCo- VRA said a team was already on standby to carry out the damage repairs but would only be signaled to move into the community if they find the terrain safe and conducive for the exercise.
Youth in the metropolis have history of violent attacks on workers of VRA and its infrastructures. Just last year, a staff of the power distributor who went to perform a task was assaulted at Lamakara.
A bench warrant for the suspect still hangs in the air after armed police who went to arrest the suspect were chased out by the youth.
Mr. Abaaba said VRA takes the threats of the youth very seriously and would not jeopardize the security of its staff recounting the attacks on its installations in Salaga, Changli and Aboabo.
“We are talking about life now. I’m sure if Major Mahama had thought twice he wouldn’t have gone to Denkyire Oboase but he thought that maybe they are just joking-this is an empty threats let’s go and do it and we all know what happened.
“And when the team went there yesterday, they chased away the team and when they run and left their vehicle there they deflated the tyre. We only were able to go and inflate it and moved it with the support of armed police. That tell that the people are not joking,” he said.
He added “so it is for us to determine when to go there. The place so far as we are concerned is very much unsafe for our people to go and work: and those who used the threats are there, the clubs and cutlasses they came up with ,the community people saw them and nobody in the community who can rein in the unruly youth then it means that nobody would want to give his life to some two people to kill”.
The Tamale Teaching hospital, schools and other important service including banks are located in the area.
