By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, June 30, GNA – The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ashanti West Region, has embarked on a tree planting exercise to boost vegetation and help restore degraded areas in the Ashanti Region.
The exercise, which began on June 5, 2026 and runs throughout the month, forms part of activities aimed at restoring Kumasi to its “Garden City” status.
It is also part of the Government of Ghana’s “Greening Ghana” initiative, implemented through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, which encourages agencies, schools, churches and other institutions to plant trees nationwide.
At a brief ceremony held at the ECG Office in Adum, Mr George Amoah, General Manager of ECG Ashanti West Region, planted a tree to officially launch the company’s participation in the initiative.
Under the exercise, ECG will plant trees at its offices, primary substations, bulk supply points, warehouses, workshops and other operational facilities across the region.
Mr Amoah commended the government for the initiative, noting that ECG, as a socially responsible organisation, remained committed to protecting the
“Trees are very important to the livelihoods of human beings as they help to produce oxygen for human respiration, reduce the impact of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, provide shade, beautify our surroundings and provide medicinal remedies for ailments,” he said.
He reiterated the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability, adding that ECG would ensure its operations did not undermine the tree planting exercise.
“These trees we are planting are a commitment we are making to society to ensure that generations after us will thank us for maintaining Kumasi as a garden city and keeping the world in great shape,”he said.
The Ashanti West General Manager further explained that “as a company, our operations require that our network is free from vegetation or tree branches do not interfere with our lines so sometimes when we see such trees we trim the branches since these branches can cause outages when they interfere with our network”.
He cautioned the public against seeking shelter under trees located near ECG overhead lines during rainfall, as this could pose serious danger.
“Seeking shelter under trees closer to our network during heavy rainfall can lead to the loss of lives in the event of the tree falling on the conductor (electricity line) or causing the conductor to fall on the ground.
This can lead to electrocution since the conductor will be closer to the person seeking shelter under the tree,” he said.
The General Manager also advised against planting trees directly under electricity distribution lines and urged the public to avoid illegal activities within ECG installations.
He encouraged the public to report any interference with ECG infrastructure, including poles, transformers, meters and pylons, to the police or the nearest ECG office.
Mr Amoah further urged customers experiencing power outages within their premises to contact ECG for assistance through its Contact Centre on 0302 611611, visit the nearest ECG office, use the ECG PowerApp, or reach out via the company’s social media handles @ECGghOfficial.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Yussif Ibarahim