The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has raised fresh alarm over cable theft in the Ashanti Region, warning that the criminal activity is disrupting power supply and costing the company significant resources.
The caution was issued by Ing. Fred Kwabena Bediako, General Manager for Special Projects at ECG, during a management tour of the Ashanti Region on Thursday, April 23, 2026, aimed at assessing ongoing projects and engaging stakeholders on service delivery challenges.
“We are deeply concerned about the increasing cases of cable theft. These criminal acts lead to frequent power outages and compromise the quality of service we provide to our customers,” Ing. Bediako said. He added that the theft of electrical cables not only disrupts ECG operations but also hinders economic activities and daily life across affected communities.
He called on residents to remain alert and report suspicious activity around electrical installations to security authorities, stressing that community cooperation is essential to protecting critical infrastructure.
ECG’s concerns in the Ashanti Region have been building for months. The company’s Ashanti West unit previously met with the regional police command in March, where officials recounted incidents of individuals impersonating ECG staff to gain access to installations, and destroying transformers, cables, conductors and meters across communities including Nwamase, Buoho, Daban and Drobonso.
The danger of cable theft has also proved fatal. A man was electrocuted at ECG’s Adoato substation in the Ashanti Region while allegedly tampering with a live cable, an incident the company described as part of a troubling rise in attacks on critical power infrastructure.
ECG’s Ashanti West Region separately recovered GH¢4.39 million in 2025 from customers found to have made illegal power connections, out of GH¢5.81 million in total surcharges imposed, representing approximately 3.02 million kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed unlawfully.
Ing. Bediako reiterated ECG’s commitment to investing in infrastructure and monitoring systems, while calling for stronger collaboration between the company, security agencies and the public to curb the illegal activities.
