A delegation from GRIDCo’s Land Management Department (LMD), led by Director, Ing. Bismark Anane, recently met with the Bono Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Addae Akwaboa and his team in Sunyani to discuss critical issues concerning encroachment of GRIDCo’s electricity transmission line Right of Way (RoW) within the Sunyani Metropolis and its environs.
In his opening remarks, Ing. Bismark Anane expressed gratitude to the Regional Minister for the prompt and positive response to engage with GRIDCo on the encroachments. He indicated that as part of GRIDCo’s efforts to get rid of unauthorised activities and structures within transmission line RoWs, his team engaged with the leadership of auto mechanics at Sunyani (Magazine) on 19th February 2025 to educate encroachers on the dangers of working within the RoW. According to him, the auto mechanics indicated that about 80% of work on a designated location for their business has been completed and required support from the Regional Coordinating Council, Traditional Authorities and other key stakeholders in the region to complete the remaining 20%.
Ing. Anane emphasised the need to ensure that affected individuals have a proper relocation plan to protect their livelihoods, saying, “Our aim is not to displace or make them jobless but to seek your support in finding a solution that balances their survival with the success of the decongestion project.”
The delegation shared with the Bono Regional Minister and his team a proposed strategy to tackle the encroachment. On his part, Hon. Akwaboa promised to support GRIDCo to protect the transmission line infrastructure within the Bono Region. He committed to facilitating a stakeholder meeting involving Community Leaders, Assembly Members, Heads of Magazine auto mechanics, and District Chief Executives (DCEs) to drive the collaborative efforts. Additionally, he encouraged GRIDCo to secure media support to educate the public on the dangers of encroaching on transmission line corridors and its associated risks.
The Minister emphasised the importance of balancing infrastructural development with social responsibility, stating, “While we work to complete our projects, we must also ensure that local communities have secure and suitable living conditions, as their livelihoods depend on it.” He further stressed the need to minimise displacement and safeguard the economic stability of affected residents.
Mr. Raphael Kornor, Chief Technician Engineer, in the Northern Network Department (NND), raised concerns about trucks parking between transmission towers at the Magazine market, posing risks to the integrity of the transmission line infrastructure. To address this in the interim, he said the affected areas will be secured with barricades to prevent unauthorised access and ensure the security of the transmission Lines.
GRIDCo is proposing to enhance the security of the RoW corridors through the implementation of a multi-agency enforcement approach. The military and police will support existing security measures to prevent unauthorised encroachment. Additionally, stricter enforcement measures will be introduced, including:
● Restricting market activities within the RoW corridors.
● Limiting public access near transmission lines.
Ing. Bismark Anane also underscored the interconnectedness between GRIDCo and NEDCo, highlighting the two companies’ shared responsibility in maintaining a stable electricity supply in the NEDCo Operational Areas.
On behalf of the team, Ing. Anane expressed appreciation to the Regional Minister for his willingness to support GRIDCo to safeguard its transmission line corridors to ensure public safety and the integrity of the power line infrastructure to facilitate reliable power delivery in the region.
Other attendees were, Ing. Lawrence Doe Zumedor, Techiman Area Manager; Major Lawrence Appiah (Rtd.), Manager, Security & RoW Protection, Mr. Raphael Kornor, and Mr. Wisdom Agbah.