Kpando Residents Cry Out over Nightly “Low Current” as Regional ECG PRO Points to Technical Challenges
Residents of Kpando in the Volta Region are up in arms against the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over persistent low-voltage electricity supply, which they claim has damaged household appliances, disrupted businesses and made life increasingly unbearable.
The frustrated residents have accused suspected cannabis (wee) farmers in the area of worsening the situation by allegedly tapping into high-capacity transformers to power their farms, thereby depriving surrounding communities of stable electricity.
According to some residents, the problem becomes particularly severe from 6 p.m., when electricity voltage reportedly drops significantly, leaving households struggling to operate basic electrical appliances.
A resident along the Kpando-Torkor Road, Aunty Evelyn, recounted how her ceiling fan stopped working after an unusually low-voltage episode over the weekend.
“My fan is spoilt. In Kpando right now, from 6 p.m., the power becomes so low that you will not understand. My ceiling fan started making some strange noises, and since then, it has stopped working. We are suffering,” she lamented.
Another resident, a businesswoman operating near the Margaret Marquart Catholic Hospital, popularly known as Da Aku, said she had almost become accustomed to the situation after repeatedly losing business freezers to the unstable electricity supply.
She said the recurring problem had caused her financial losses, threatening the smooth operation of her business.
More disturbing are allegations by some residents that hundreds of illegal cannabis farms operate in the area, allegedly relying on powerful transformers to provide the lighting required to cultivate certain cannabis varieties.
The sources, who spoke to the Daily Press on condition of anonymity, claimed that the farmers resorted to the national electricity grid because the cost of operating generators using petrol and diesel had become prohibitive.
“We are experiencing low current because of the wee farms that are powered with powerful transformers, so at night the power becomes extremely low. ECG must come to our aid before we take matters into our own hands,” one of the sources warned.
However, the Public Relations Officer of ECG for the Volta and Oti Regions, Mrs. Eunice Tweanbah-Kodua, has confirmed that the Volta Region is experiencing a general low-voltage problem but attributed it to technical challenges with the electricity transmission infrastructure.
She explained that the problem had been brought to the attention of the government, with residents and ECG awaiting the necessary intervention.
“The low-voltage issue is real. It is true, and it has been brought to the attention of the government. We are all waiting for government intervention,” she said.
According to her, the challenge stems from the transmission line responsible for conveying electricity from generation facilities to the region.
She disclosed that the Volta Region continues to rely on a 69kV transmission line, which needs to be upgraded to a 161kV line to improve voltage levels and ensure a more reliable electricity supply.
“In fact, I believe the Volta Region is the only region in Ghana still relying on a 69kV transmission line. This needs to be upgraded to 161kV before we can achieve improved voltage levels,” she explained.
Mrs. Tweanbah-Kodua said the government was expected to construct a new Bulk Supply Point (BSP) and a 161kV transmission line, adding that a timeline had been provided for the project.
On the allegations that cannabis farmers were using high-capacity transformers to power their farms at the expense of other electricity consumers, Mrs Tweanbah-Kodua said the matter had not previously come to her attention.
She noted that, apart from the region-wide transmission challenges, some communities also experienced localised low voltage arising from transformer-related problems.
She explained that ECG normally responds to such complaints by upgrading affected transformers or replacing them where necessary.
However, after the Daily Press brought the allegations concerning the suspected cannabis farms to her attention, she promised to contact the District Manager to establish the facts.
“No, I am not aware of that. However, since you have brought it to my attention, I will contact the District Manager to find out more about it,” she stated.
While ECG maintains that the broader regional problem is linked to inadequate transmission infrastructure, residents want the company to investigate the alleged activities of cannabis farmers and establish whether any illegal connections or excessive electricity consumption are contributing to the situation.