Kokrobite Cutlass Wounds:PDS Staff Receives GH¢4,000 Compensation

A staff of Power Distribution Service (PDS) in the Bortianor District of Ga South Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, Gershon Asiedu, who was inflicted with cutlass wounds by a resident of Kokrobite while on duty, has received a compensation package of GH¢3,000.00 from the Nii Arde Nkpa family, land owners of Tuba, Langma and Bortianor and 1,000 from the Residents’ Association.

The amount, according to the land owners of the area, is to be used to support his upkeep.

Mr. Asiedu, 39, was among a PDS team working to restore power to Kokrobite Township, when he was inflicted with cutlass wounds by a resident of the area who has been identified as Amedeka on March 16, 2019.

This compelled the team to flee the area for their lives.

He was sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to undergo surgery and receive additional treatment.

Since then, the area has been without power, thus making life very unbearable for the residents and businesses operating there.

However, power was restored to the area on Wednesday; following the signing of a bond of good behaviour by the traditional council of the area on behalf of the residents.

Daniel Nii Arde Tagoe, who led the Nii Arde Nkpa family to make the donation, Thursday, rendered unqualified apology to PDS and its staff, Gershon Asiedu for the unfortunate incident.

“We totally condemn that nasty incident. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Why should people take the law into their own hands and behave cruelly towards a government official who was in the line of duty rendering services to the nation? Such act must not be entertained at all in our society. We frown upon such act and so we are here to render unqualified apology to PDS and Gershon Asiedu”, noted Daniel Nii Ade Tagoe.

He also thanked them for listening to their appeals and making amends with residents of the area by restoring power to the entire Kokrobite Township.

That notwithstanding, Mr. Tagoe assured PDS that never again will that incident happen on their land.

He further pledged their support to work hand-in-hand with the Police to find the culprit who inflicted cutlass wounds on Gershon Asiedu.

The Ocean View Residents Association of Kokrobite led by Simon Appadu, also made a cash donation of GH¢1,000.00 Gershon Asiedu to support his upkeep.

The Bortianor PDS District Manager, Michael Abbey, commenting on the issue narrated how their men had stormed Kokrobite in an attempt to restore power to residents after detecting a fault on some of their lines when the unfortunate incident happened to them.

He said the team upon arrival to the scene detected that a branch of a Nim tree had fallen on some of the power lines and interfering in power flow and while in the process of pruning that branch, a middle aged man, Amedeka, appeared from nowhere in an attempt to pass under the tree to his destination.

“One of my technical men then told him (Amedeka) to use a different route since he could be harmed by the power line or the branch of the tree once it is pruned down. Amedeka didn’t understand my men and a confrontation ensued resulting in Gershon Asiedu sustaining cutlass wounds from Amedeka who has since absconded”, he narrated.

Gershon Asiedu, according to Mr. Abbey, was then taking to the hospital for treatment.

He has since been discharged, he added.

He then appealed to the land owners to lead in the fight against illegal power connections in the area.