By The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has dismissed demands from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Workers’ Union for an apology regarding the arrest of one of their Managers.
He defended his actions, asserting that he had instructed the Police to apprehend the Ashanti East Manager of the ECG, Mark Wiafe Asomani, for security reasons.
During a press conference in Kumasi on Thursday, the Minister disclosed that there were agreements in place between the ECG and the Kumasi Technical University to address the University’s outstanding debts.
Mr. Osei-Mensah reassured reporters that he was simply fulfilling his duties and had not engaged in any misconduct.
“Do I have to apologise for doing my security work? What I want to tell you is that I asked the police to invite Ing Mark Asomani Wiafe on security grounds because of the happenings in the electricity sector in the region and the fact that a task force can always come from outside to disconnect without the proper information.
“What is ironic is that they tell me that they are not under me and for that matter, I cannot tell them what to do but they want to tell me how to execute my security responsibilities as enshrined in the Securities and Intelligence Act of 2020, Act 10(30).”
The Minister also refuted allegations that some ECG managers are members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
He criticized the ECG for disregarding warnings from the Security Council to ensure uninterrupted power supply at the residences of the President and Vice President when they are in the Ashanti Region.
Moreover, he accused the ECG of overcharging him for electricity at his residence while denying any outstanding payments to the power company.
