The military has clashed with residents of Nuaso Old Town in the Lower Manya Krobo municipality in the Eastern Region after accompanying the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to install prepaid metres.
At least six persons have allegedly been shot by the military personnel assisting the ECG personnel on Monday, August 22, 2022.
Reports stated that the soldiers allegedly shot into a crowd that was massing up around the team undertaking the disconnection, resulting in the injuries.
It is, however, unclear what brought about the renewed clash.
Some residents at Nuaso Old Town alleged that they have been flogged by some of the soldiers on duty with the ECG.
A resident called Theresa Laweh said: “I was cooking when they came around, they asked me to get inside, I refused, then they began beating me.”
A farmer called Christian Tetteh also said “We are lost for words to what is happening. I just returned from the bush. They just beat us mercilessly and took away my cutlass. I have reported to the police and taken medical forms, this is bad.”
Meanwhile. the Assemblyman for the Nuaso Old Town Electoral Area, Samuel Torgbor, condemned the attack and said he was not informed of the exercise prior to the team’s arrival.
“We were not aware the ECG and military would be coming to our community today. No one has spoken to us. They can’t just come and be doing things because they have power and military,” he angrily said.
However, the Public Relations Officer of the Tema region of the ECG, Sakyiwaa Mensah, has reacted to the incident.
In a statement, she explained that the team of ECG and military faced resistance in the Old Nuaso community that the team has withdrawn.
“In Nuaso Old Town, there was resistance. One woman threatened to pour hot oil on the ECG personnel and the Military as well,” she stated.
She added: “a crowd started amassing around one ECG Team. The Military was able to receive a cutlass from one of those who were amassing around the ECG people. There have been reports of constant verbal abuses and attacks on the personnel doing the installation at Nuaso Old Town. The Team has withdrawn from Nuaso Old Town.”
