Tamale: The Senior Staff Association (SSA) of the Volta River Authority (VRA)/Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) in Tamale has withdrawn all services in the Tamale Metropolis and its environs following an attack on some of its staff by irate youth.
According to Ghana News Agency, the decision was taken at an emergency meeting held by the staff of the Northern Area in Tamale, documented in a resolution jointly signed by Mr. William Asare, Chairman of SSA-NEDCO, and Mr. Fuseini Adjei, VRA Divisional Union Chairman. The resolution stated that the staff were traumatized after some youth violently attacked VRA/NEDCO personnel on July 30, 2025, while they were driving official vehicles.
The statement explained that the staff were stopped, pulled out of their vehicles, and beaten with clubs and sticks, with some narrowly escaping death. The company's vehicles were subsequently seized and taken to the Gulkpe-Naa Palace. The life of VRA/NEDCO staff and the properties of the company have become the target of the youth involved in the attack.
The leadership of SSA-NEDCO expressed concern that these assaults were part of a trend of violent attacks against utility staff in the region. They cited several past incidents, such as the 2016 assault on staff at Lamkara while accompanied by police personnel and the 2017 attack at Dohinayili where staff were assaulted and company vehicle tyres deflated.
In 2015, youth attacked and vandalized the VRA/NEDCO office in Tamale, and in 2019, staff were assaulted at Vittin while disconnecting illegally installed streetlights. These persistent attacks have left staff in fear, stating that they are at a loss as to why innocent staff returning from legitimate duties were beaten and had their vehicles seized.
The resolution demanded that NEDCO management, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, ensure that the perpetrators were identified and brought to justice. It also called for an explanation for the assault, a commitment to staff safety, and the immediate retrieval of the seized vehicles.
The Union stated that services would remain suspended until their demands were met and staff safety was assured.
