GRIDCO Right-Of-Ways: Jinapor Gives Encroachers One-Month Ultimatum.
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Jinapor, has issued a one-month ultimatum to individuals, businesses and other entities occupying or operating within GRIDCo’s transmission line right-of-ways across the country to vacate the areas or face forced removal.
The directive follows a major incident at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region, where a tanker explosion severely damaged a critical transmission tower during welding activities beneath high-voltage power lines.
GRIDCo reported the incident on July 10, after the tanker exploded while welding works were being carried out.
The force of the explosion reportedly sent part of the tanker’s rear structure more than 300 metres away, striking one of GRIDCo’s transmission towers.
The affected structure is a double-circuit tower carrying two critical transmission lines from GRIDCo’s Volta Substation at Ashaiman to the Achimota Substation in Accra.
The lines supply electricity to a significant portion of the capital, raising concerns that any further damage to the tower could trigger widespread disruption to power supply.
The Energy and Green Transition Minister, Dr. John Jinapor, visited the site to assess the progress of the replacement works.
Dr. Jinapor said government had on several occasions appealed to individuals and businesses to vacate GRIDCo’s transmission corridors, warning that activities within the right-of-ways posed serious risks to both critical national infrastructure and human lives.
He warned that after the deadline, government would deploy the Police, Military, National Security, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, as well as other relevant institutions, to remove remaining occupants.
The Chief Executive Officer of GRIDCo, Frank Okyere, said the impact of the explosion compromised the structural integrity of the tower and created the risk of a possible collapse.
He stressed on the need for business to vacate the area to protect their own lives and save the country’s millions of cedis
REPORTER: AHIABOR AUGUSTINE.
