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NEDCO pledges to resolve continuous power outages in Tumu

By
Mohammed Balu, GNA

Tumu (U/W), Oct. 1, GNA – One
electricity feeder system designated for the whole Sissala East zone has been
explained by power distributer NEDCO (Northern Electricity Distribution Company),
as being responsible for the perennial and persistent power outages in the
area.

“Any fault detected either
through bad weather condition or birds in flight goes back to the common line
that feeds the entire area,” Mr Ernest Bonti, the Deputy Regional Manager of
NEDCO, said at a stakeholder consultation in Tumu, the Sissala East Municipal
capital.

“Some of the lines are affected
due to bad weather conditions such as windstorms and the single feeder that
ensures the system automatically trips and this affects all the lines”.

He said management intends to
bring in 3,634 stations where feeders would be provided for at Tumu,
Welembelle, Gwollu, and an international line connecting Leo in Burkina Faso.

“We believe next year by now
the perennial problem of outages will be solved,” he adding that, “The feeder
system will allow each section to minimize the outages”.

Mr Bonti acknowledged complaints
of incessant power cuts that plunges many communities into darkness and damages
household electrical appliances and equipment.

He assured the people that the
construction of a sub-station would end the power outages.

Mr Bonti also advised the
population to always seek services of qualified technicians to work on their
electrical gadgets.

For over two years, the people of
Sissala East have been grappling with daily outages associated with damages to
electrical appliances often blamed on a high voltage or power surge.

Mr Karim Nanyua, the Municipality
Chief Executive (MCE), said: “The suffering that residents are experiencing is
due to the frequent power outages”.

He said many people use
electricity in their daily lives ranging from domestic to economic activities
so any outage badly affected their lives.

“I will be very happy if the
lights go off in this meeting for you to see the severity of the problem,” he
said amidst laughter form the audience, adding: “The power outage is slowing
productivity and needs to change”.

Mr Eugene Odoi Addo, the Upper
West Regional Area Manager for NEDCO, assured the people look into their
complaints but urged them to also pay their electricity bills to enable the
company offer better services.

“For the past three years the
Upper West Region alone has had about 400 communities connected to the national
grid, but this expansion has further exposed the network to the outages being
experienced,” he added. 

He announced plans by the
authority to build another sub-station in Tumu that would introduce feeders for
Tumu, Welembellle, and Gwollu; adding that this required substantial money
which has compelled the company to seek for Korean Eximbank support.

Mr Nat Baena, the Director of
Operations in charge of Network, also told residents that: “Your sentiments
have been noted and GRIDCO will try very hard to resolve the challenges”.

 “I want to appeal to the
people of Tumu to be more patient as we seek solutions to resolve the challenge
of electricity supply to the area”.

Residents were advised to use
devices such as stabilizers and automatic voltage switcher to protect their
appliances against power surges.

GNA

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