Police station under attack as Manya Krobo youth resist PDS disconnection exercise

Some irate youth of Kpongunor in the Lower Manya Krobo municipality remobilized on Monday evening and launched attack on the Nuaso Police station. The youth have been pelting stones as they try to free some of their members who have been arrested and are in police custody following a confrontation in the afternoon. Earlier in the day, hundreds of youth blocked roads to protest and resist a disconnection exercise being undertaken by power distribution company PDS. About a week ago, officials of PDS with protection from the police begun disconnecting households within the municipality that have not settled their electricity bills. The team resumed the disconnection exercise on Monday May 20, 2019 but when they got to kpongunor, the youth massed up and prevented the team from doing their work. Some residents have not paid electricity bills for years now and are not unwilling to pay. They raised issues of over-billing, estimated billing which they first protested against in 2014 after their meters were changed. PDS reached an agreement with the residents but they claimed PDS has reneged on its part of the agreement. Amidst chanting of war songs, the youth blocked the main road with logs on Monday when PDS went to disconnect some households that are still owing. The police personnel working with PDS who were obviously outnumbered by the youth had to call for reinforcement from the regional capital Koforidua to clear the blockage, and they succeeded in dispersing the youth. But the youth regrouped hours later to attack the Nuaso Police station. By Yvonne Neequaye | 3news.com]]>