ECG threatens to cut power to Ashanti School for the Deaf over GH¢80,000 indebtedness

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is threatening to disconnect power to the Ashanti School for the Deaf for failing to pay bills amounting to GH80,000.

The school says it is financially handicapped and unable to settle the amount.

Speaking to the GNA the Headmaster of the school Ofosu Boachie, who expressed worry about the disconnection threat said without electricity the pupils would not be able to communicate or study at night.  

The school's only source of income is government feeding grants of GH¢2.20 per pupil per day, which has, in recent times, been raised to GH¢3.3 but has not been effected.

Mr. Boachie says government has not been regular with payment of the grants.

He says the school also owe their suppliers who they have been forced to lie to all the time.

Although the school has a standby generator donated by Sokpo, a non-governmental organisation from the Netherlands, the authorities could not afford to pay the GH¢75 it cost to buy fuel to run it.

The cooks use fire wood, though the school has a Liquefied Petroleum Gas tank which has been empty for nearly a year due to lack of funds. 

The GNA reports that the 595 deaf students live in bed-bugs-infested dormitories but authorities say they lack the funds to fumigate the residents.

A teacher told the GNA  “We face serious challenges with the frequent light off, and some of the children ease themselves indiscriminately around the dormitories and the bathrooms at night because they cannot communicate to their colleagues to accompany them for nature's call”.