By Daniel Agbesi Latsu
Kadjebi (O/R), Feb. 20, GNA – Mr Emmanuel Cole, the Headmaster of Kadjebi-Asato Senior High School (KASEC), has alleged that persistent low voltage and power fluctuations have damaged the school’s corn mill, disrupting food preparation for students.
He said the unstable power supply, characterised by frequent voltage drops and unannounced outages, had also affected lighting systems in classrooms and dormitories, thereby disrupting evening studies and other academic activities.
Mr Cole made the disclosure during a customer and stakeholder engagement organised by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) at Kadjebi in the Oti Region.
He said the school, with a student population of 3,747, relied heavily on electricity to operate essential facilities, including the corn mill used in grinding maize, and other cereals for preparing meals for students under the government’s Free Senior High School programme.
“The corn mill is a critical facility in our school’s feeding operations. Its damage due to low voltage has created an additional financial burden on the school, as we must look for alternative milling services outside campus,” he said.
Mr Cole noted that the frequent outages had compelled students to endure dark and uncomfortable conditions in dormitories, while teachers struggled to conduct effective evening lessons.
He said the situation was adversely affecting academic performance and called on the ECG to urgently intervene to stabilise power supply to the school and the Kadjebi township at large.
Some community members who attended the engagement also expressed concern about the erratic power supply, indicating that it had affected small businesses such as cold stores, drinking bars, and hairdressing salons.
Responding to these concerns, Mr Michael Engmann, the District Technical Officer of the ECG at Jasikan, acknowledged the challenges and assured the school authorities and residents of the company’s commitment to addressing the situation.
He explained that some of the power fluctuations were due to technical constraints and load management issues, but measures were being put in place to improve supply stability in the area.
Mr Engmann assured stakeholders of regular engagements to better understand customer concerns and work collaboratively to resolve them.
He encouraged residents to promptly report power-related faults to ECG offices to facilitate swift responses and minimise damage to electrical appliances.
The engagement formed part of ECG’s broader initiative to strengthen relations with customers and enhance service delivery across the Oti Region.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo