CABLE THEFTS THWART GT'S EXPANSION WORK (BACK PAGE)

Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman

FREQUENT stealing of Ghana Telecommunication’s (GT) cables has severely disrupted the company's expansion work in parts of the Eastern Region.
The Eastern Regional Manager of the company, Nii Fleischer-Brock, who disclosed this at a luncheon for the company's corporate customers at Koforidua on Monday, said a total of 79,200 metres of cables worth GH¢41,382 were stolen in the region last year.
"For sometime now some nation wreckers have been stealing and vandalising telecom cables and such acts have led to loss of property and revenue, hampering the extension of services to other parts of the region," he stated.
The regional manager said as part of efforts to curb the situation, the management of the company had over the years instituted a reward scheme for informants who provide useful information that would lead to the arrest of the thieves.
"Anybody whose information will lead to the arrest and conviction of a thief or thieves will be given GH¢500 while GT will offer GH¢1000 to persons who will cause the arrest of such people," Nii Fleischer-Brock stated.
Furthermore, he said the company would deal with people who bought stolen cables, noting that such a move would make the stealing of cable less attractive.
To this end, the GT manager, who expressed profound gratitude to the security services for aiding in the apprehension and conviction of some cable thieves, appealed to people in the communities, especially watchdog committees, to report suspicious characters found near the company's installations.
The event — which brought together heads of the various ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the security services in the New Juaben Municipality — formed part of activities marking World Telecommunications Day in the region.
According to the GT Regional Manager, the company recorded the highest theft of its cables in places such as Obomeng in the Kwahu South, Nsawam in the Akuapem North, and Asamankese in the West Akyem districts, and Akyem Oda in the Birim Central and Koforidua in the New Juaben municipalities.
In spite of such challenges, Nii Fleischer-Brock pointed out that the company was committed to providing world-class telecom services to its customers, including basic and senior high schools, with its products such as Onetouch network and brodband 4U.
For his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, whose speech was read on his behalf, observed that cable theft had posed a serious threat to the government's commitment to promoting information communication technology (ICT) to the people.
"Those who either vandalise or steal telecom cables can best be described as saboteurs and nation wreckers whose acts prevent us from enjoying the full benefit of ICT, which is transforming businesses, trade and lives in the world," the minister stated.
"Since cable thieves are enemies of progress, they must be punished in accordance with the law when caught," he added.
Mr Affram Asiedu reiterated the government's commitment to providing the people access to quality and affordable ICT and called on GT to complement such efforts to facilitate the concept of community information centres.