The Ghana Water Company Limited and the Tema Community 18 police are on the hunt for one Orlando Abednego, said to owe the company thousands of cedis from illegally selling water.
Orlando had had his water supply cut for arrears he was yet to settle, however he managed to divert the pipeline through his living room and illegally reconnected it, filling his poly tanks after 5pm when he was sure to avoid detection, and selling the water to co-squatters at Cambodia, off the Tema Motorway near Community 18.
This was soon after he had agreed terms with the water company to settle his bills so he could be reconnected.
Suspicious officials monitored his operations and realised he was siphoning water for sale to the public.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, November 26, the Baatsona District Chief Manager of the Ghana Water Company, Alhaji Ahmed Jalaba Osman said the company discovered on Sunday, November 24, 2019 that a group of squatters living on a gated park called ‘African 11 park’, Cambodia near Tema were using water illegally.
According to Mr Osman, his team realised some months ago that an account belonging to one Mr Orlando Abednego popularly known as Nii who lives at the African 11 Park owed the company an amount of Gh¢10,528, which made the company disconnect his pipe.
Alhaji Osman said Mr Orlando later came to the office, paid half of the money and agreed to pay Gh¢1,000 every week until full payment so the company reconnected his pipe.
He however defaulted again, following which he was disconnected again.
He said this time around, Mr Orlando came back to ask that the water be left disconnected until he finished clearing his arrears.
Investigations later however led to the discovery that Orlando had reconnected the pipe through his living room and into his 3000-litres poly-tank which he fills and sells to residents of the about 300 kiosks estates.
He had also disguised the pipeline by burying them under some huge cement blocks.
Revenue mobilisation
The Director of Communications at Ghana Water Company Limited, Stanley Martey said the company was embarking on a revenue mobilisation project to recover all long-term and short-term debts.
He advised the public to refrain from any form of illegalities as well as report any case of illegal activities to the company or the police to help bring perpetrators to book.
In the course of digging up the pipeline, a couple was arrested by the police after they attempted to prevent the exercise. They are to be arraigned before court.
By: graphic.com.gh
