South Tongu Community in Darkness for Two Months Over Faulty ECG Transformer
- The Hawui community has been left in darkness for two months after a power outage affecting over 1,000 residents
- Multiple vehicles, including a wheel loader and a tipper truck, got stuck in the mud during efforts to restore power
- A repaired transformer then failed again, leaving the community without an idea of when the power would return
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The Hawui community in the Gamenu Electoral Area of South Tongu District has been grappling with a severe power outage for two months following the malfunction of a crucial Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) transformer.
Source: Getty Images
Despite repeated efforts to restore power, over 1,000 residents remain in darkness, facing significant disruptions to their daily lives.
The ordeal reportedly began when the transformer, vital for supplying electricity to the area, suffered a blown fuse.
The community, under the leadership of Assemblyman Seyram Glah, promptly reported the issue to the ECG.
The damaged unit was subsequently transported to Ho for repairs, offering a glimmer of hope for the affected residents.
South Tongu power: many errors delay repairs
With power restored to the region on September 15, 2025, the situation took an unexpected turn.
A vehicle tasked with transporting the repaired transformer became mired in mud while attempting to leave the site.
This incident triggered a series of unfortunate events, further delaying the restoration of power.
A yellow wheel loader was deployed the following day, September 16, but it too became trapped in the treacherous terrain.
The community rallied, but their collective efforts were insufficient to free the heavy machinery from the mud.
The situation escalated when a blue tipper truck, brought in on September 19, to deliver gravel for the retrieval operation, also became stuck near the Gamenu Clinic.
Assemblyman for the Gamenu Electoral Area, Seyram Glah, recounted the frustrating sequence of events in an interview with YEN.com.gh:
“The transformer got damaged when the pole it was fixed on fell about two months ago. We reported it, and ECG personnel came for repairs. The vehicle that brought the repaired transformer got stuck in the mud when leaving. I went for a tractor to help pull it out, but it also got stuck.
"The following day, Tuesday, September 16, we brought a wheeler, but that too got stuck. A tipper truck brought in with gravel to fill the area also became stuck. Multiple other attempts failed until Sunday, September 21, when the vehicles were finally removed from the mud.”
Hawui community faces uncertain power situation
Just as the community breathed a sigh of relief with the successful retrieval of the vehicles on Sunday, September 21, another setback occurred.
The repaired transformer, fixed only 24 hours earlier, malfunctioned once again.
This renewed failure has left the community in despair, with no immediate solution in sight.
The ECG in the Sogakope District, according to Glah, informed the community that they were unable to provide a replacement transformer at this time, stating that the faulty unit would have to undergo further repairs.
As a result, the Hawui community’s prolonged power outage remains unresolved, with no clear timeline for when electricity will be restored.
Source: Getty Images
Four-year-old dies in electric accident
Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that Kekeli Adza Bernard, aged four, died after suffering an electric shock from a live wire while playing outside
The boy's father blamed the ECG personnel who allegedly dropped the live wire on the ground, with the child's mother fetching water at the time.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
