No frequent power outages in Tamale

Story: Vincent Adedze, Tamale
07/03/08
THE Northern Area Manager of the Volta River Authority (VRA)-Northern Electricity Department (NED), Mr Danladi Bukari, has denied that there are frequent power outages as reported earlier by some residents in Tamale.
While conceding that the metropolis recorded some outages sometimes, he explained that “the frequency as earlier reported cannot be the case”.
Mr Bukari was reacting to the concerns raised by some residents on the power outages during an interaction with this reporter in Tamale.
He further stated that two types of outages did occur. They were the planned and unplanned outages.
The manager said in the case of planned outages, there was a co-ordinated programme during which the VRA caused announcements to be made on local FM stations about its intentions to carry out maintenance works on its installations.
“Unplanned outages occur as a result of several activities including the theft of conductors, bushfires and generally any activity that disturbs the VRA’s installations,” he explained.
According to Mr Bukari, stealing of conductors was on the ascendancy in the metropolis especially at Kaladan, Hausa Zongo, Bayanwaya and Education Ridge.
He, however, indicated that a number of arrests had been made and the culprits were being prosecuted.
The manager also said residents of other areas where such cases were reported had given a pledge to help stop such nefarious activities and were co-operating with the VRA.
“We have put in place community outreach programmes where we interact with the chiefs and opinion leaders most of whom have pledged to co-operate with us to take good care of our installations. As a result of this collaboration with the chiefs some residents have confessed and pledged not to engage in such negative acts again,” Mr Bukari said.
The manager, therefore, appealed to residents to co-operate with the VRA in its quest to provide quality services to its customers.
“We are always available for you to make your complaints; our doors are always opened to our customers to express their grievances,” he stressed.