The Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has shed light on a concerning debt crisis facing Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country, revealing that they collectively owe the company over GH₵45 million.
Mr Dubik Mahama clarified that the recent disconnection of Accra Academy was part of a broader nationwide initiative aimed at recovering outstanding debts owed to the ECG.
Expressing his concern about the escalating debt stock from various customers, Mr Dubik Mahama emphasized the need for prompt actions to address the issue before it worsens.
“Currently, the schools' bill is pushing towards almost GH₵45 million in arrears,” Mr Dubik Mahama disclosed in an interview with TV3, further adding, “Across the nation, put everything together we should be in the region of GH₵2.5 billion debt based on the debt stock that I am seeing.”
Apologizing for any inconvenience caused, Mr. Dubik Mahama assured that the disconnection at Accra Academy was not the primary objective of the company. He stated that discussions with the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service were underway to find a long-lasting solution to the issue.
“For Accra Academy and others, I am sorry for what happened yesterday, I know it was a traumatizing experience. That was not the main aim of the company,” Mr. Mahama affirmed, expressing his commitment to finding solutions through dialogue.
The revelation comes in the wake of the ECG's announcement that Accra Academy Senior High School was disconnected from the power grid due to an outstanding debt of GH¢400,000. Paul Agraga, the head of prosecution at ECG, clarified that the disconnection was part of ongoing efforts to recover outstanding payments owed to the company.
“Normally, we have a team that goes around once in a while to inform our customers of their debts so they do not accumulate, and so if you take Accra Academy, for example, they owe in excess of GH¢400,000 to the ECG,” Mr Agraga explained during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show.
The situation underscores the urgent need for effective debt management strategies and collaboration between stakeholders to address the growing financial challenges facing SHS and other customers. Failure to tackle these issues promptly could have detrimental effects on service delivery and financial sustainability in the long term.