ECG re-connects Parliament after settling debt

Parliament has been reconnected to the national grid after the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) task force disconnected the Legislature.

The development was over the House’s GH₵23 million debt owed to the distribution company.

The Parliament of Ghana was plunged into darkness after the Electricity Company of Ghana disconnected power supply over a GHC23 million debt.

ECG’s National Taskforce cut the power supply to the Parliament House and Job 600 on Thursday, February 29, after several attempts to recover the debt failed.

Prompt intervention by fire service officers was required to rescue those trapped in the elevators.

This is part of ECG’s revenue mobilization drive dubbed “Operation Zero Balance” across the country.

Parliament’s debt has been accruing since August 2022.

In March 2023, the House was compelled to make part payment of its indebtedness to ECG to avert disconnection from the national grid. They paid GH¢8.5 million out of the GH¢13 million owed to the power distributor.

On February 21, 2024, officials of ECG went to the premises of the legislative house intending to disconnect the electricity supply but rescinded the decision after a discussion.

But Parliament has since settled more than GH₵10 million of the debt and has been reconnected.

Thursday’s power outage took place while the legislators were debating President Akufo-Addo’s recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Outgoing Deputy Minister for Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, was on the floor defending the president’s address when power went off.

It triggered chants of “Dumsor, dumsor!” from the minority side of the house.

This development comes amid complaints by many Ghanaians of erratic power supply.