The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has restored electricity supply to the Afram Plains after a major outage triggered by damage to a marine cable in the early hours of Monday, April 27.
Speaking in an interview, the General Manager for External Communications at ECG, Dr. Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, explained that the fault occurred about 400 metres into the River Afram, cutting off power to the entire Donkorkrom District.
He indicated that immediately after the incident, the Eastern Regional Maintenance team mobilised to the site to conduct an assessment. “Our initial checks confirmed a serious fault on the marine cable, which made it impossible to transmit power across the river,” he noted.
Dr. Ayiku further revealed that a specialised Cable Test Van was deployed from Accra to help locate the exact point of failure. Although the team arrived on Tuesday and began work, operations were briefly disrupted on Wednesday when the vehicle became stuck in a swampy section while tracing the fault.
He highlighted the intervention of the District Chief Executive for Afram Plains South, Moses Tangbe, who played a pivotal role in resolving the challenge. “The DCE personally ensured that the Test Van was pulled out safely, demonstrating strong leadership and commitment throughout the process,” he said.
Despite the difficult terrain, ECG engineers, with support from local residents, adopted a practical and innovative recovery approach. Two boats were deployed, along with community divers, to lift sections of the submerged cable from the river. The team carefully navigated the water until the damaged portion was identified and repaired.
“In the absence of specialised marine cable joints, the team improvised with standard cable joints to restore supply. They also constructed a temporary wharf to prevent the repaired section from coming into direct contact with the river,” Dr. Ayiku explained.
He emphasised that the coordinated effort and ingenuity of the team helped avert what could have been a prolonged outage across the Afram Plains.
Dr. Ayiku commended all stakeholders involved, including the Eastern Regional Management and Maintenance Team, the Accra Sub-Transmission Cable Test Van Team, the Donkorkrom District team, and residents of Ekye Amanfrom and Adawso, for their dedication and resilience.
“Thanks to their collective effort, power has now been fully restored, bringing relief to affected communities,” he stated.
ECG also expressed its appreciation to all who contributed to the restoration effort and extended an apology to its cherished customers and the general public for the inconvenience caused.
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