Staff of the Volta River Authority/Northern Electricity Distribution Company (VRA/NEDCo) in Tamale have suspended all field-related operations following a violent assault on personnel, marking yet another episode in a disturbing trend of attacks against utility workers in the region.
The decision was formalized in a resolution adopted at an emergency staff meeting held Thursday, July 31, in Tamale.
The move follows an incident on Wednesday, July 30, in which several NEDCo staff were ambushed by a group of young men while returning from duty in official vehicles.
According to the staff in a statement on Thursday, July 31, the attackers forcibly pulled them from their cars, brutally assaulted them with clubs and sticks, and seized the company vehicles, which were later found parked at the Gukpenaa Palace.
“These innocent staff were beaten with clubs and sticks and were almost killed. The vehicles were then seized and parked at the Gukpena Palace.,” the resolution stated, describing the act as barbaric.
This latest incident has reignited longstanding concerns over staff safety.
Workers cited a string of previous assaults dating back nearly a decade, including vandalism of VRA/NEDCo offices in 2015, physical attacks on staff during operations in 2016 and 2017, and the beating of personnel at Vittin in 2019.
Despite repeated appeals for protection, the violence has continued unabated.
“Staff in Tamale and its environs are traumatized by persistent attacks by some youth in Tamale and now fear for their dear lives,” they emphasized that while administrative work will continue, all field duties are on hold until their security is guaranteed.
In their resolution, the staff demanded swift action from VRA/NEDCo management and the police to immediately identify and prosecute and perpetrators, full retrieval of the seized vehicles, amongst others.
The staff maintain that until those conditions are met, they will not return to the field.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
