First of all, we cannot have military men causing fear and panic in the hearts of the citizens when these same citizens are not having it easy with reports of civil unrest and terrorism at the borders of the country. The people of Lower Manya Krobo are no terrorists to warrant this. If there are misunderstandings between them and the ECG over the payment of electricity bills or whatsoever, I believe there are police personnel in this country who are very able to ensure peace; after all, that is their mandate.
Military and employees of the Electricity Company of Ghana who were attempting to install prepaid meters in Nuaso in the Lower Krobo municipality in the Eastern Region have been confronted by residents of the region, causing the soldiers to take flight. The locals were shocked by the lack of consultation, according to Samuel Torgbor, the Assembly representative for the Nuaso Electoral Constituency.
He said that he did not have any news to share with his people and that he was unaware that their region would be visited by the ECG and military personnel on Monday. He added that they were perplexed since they believed the military had been asked to leave the area.
The Lower Manya Krobo municipality’s soldiers are to be immediately withdrawn, after a directive from Parliament to the Minister of Defense. Residents and the ECG have been at odds over the payment of electricity bills. The Lower Manya Krobo MP, Ebenezer Teye Larbi, also spoke on Eyewitness News and claimed that the safety concerns raised by ECG to support the military worries were unjustified.
Even though the situation has not been fully handled, Mr. Larbi said that they had moved from the point where there was that conflict. According to him, locals believe that the military is being sent in to threaten them.
According to Mr. Larbi, the strategy they are using gives the idea that they are being punished with prepaid meters. Since then, the management of the ECG has said that it will speak with the residents of the Nuaso village to inform them about the ongoing installation of prepaid meters.
This situation should not be condoned at all. It raises several questions which are begging for answers. Why were the residents of Lower Manya Krobo not given prior knowledge of the ongoing meter installation exercise? Since when did military men accompany ECG personnel to install prepaid meters? Could the residents be right in thinking that the military was being used to threaten them?
Has the military now become a tool for instilling fear in the people? We have seen similar cases in recent times, during the 2020 elections where military men were sent to some polling stations to intimidate the voters This new phenomenon is abhorring and very backward. The military must stick to its mandate of upholding internal security and defending Ghana’s territorial integrity from foreign aggression.
Yeah…when must the assistance of the military be engaged?
I believe the police are very much equipped to handle unrest among civilians. The military should not be engaged in some of these things…It’s not their mandate and it sends a different picture altogether.