Illegal utility connections in affluent communities are drawing sharp criticism from legal and governance experts, as concerns mount over how utility theft by the elite is corroding both public trust and national development.
Following revelations by Ghana Water Limited (GWL) that an illegal water connection syndicate was operating at the Adwoa Wangara apartments, Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare, a legal scholar and Democracy and Development Fellow at CDD-Ghana, issued a pointed response.
He cited this as the latest in a troubling trend, recalling that Rehoboth Estate had earlier been caught stealing electricity.
According to him, these acts are not isolated incidents but part of a growing pattern of lawlessness in some of Ghana’s most privileged enclaves.
“Yaanom say we shouldn’t call it “stealing” unless a court says so, noting that, with respect, we don’t need a judge to tell us that illegal connections are theft. When you bypass a meter and consume what you haven’t paid for, it’s not a donation, it’s not a technicality. It’s stealing.
“Why are our gated communities, symbols of order, wealth, and planning, bypassing the law like petty thieves? These estates were built to be models of urban sophistication. They boast architects, engineers, private security, landscaping contracts, and management companies.”
Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare
He maintained that it doesn’t take a courtroom ruling to recognize what civic duty and common sense already make obvious—utility theft is unmistakable.
These actions, he stressed, are not driven by need but are deliberate acts of sabotage.
Prof. Asare argued that the situation is more insidious than meets the eye, pointing out that these are not underprivileged households trying to make ends meet.
In his view, they are well-connected, resource-rich individuals who have the means to pay for what they use but deliberately choose to cheat the system. In doing so, he warned, they are weaponizing their privilege against the public good.
Utility Theft Depletes Resources
Calling for public outrage, Prof. Kwaku Asare said the consequences of elite utility theft are not limited to financial losses for service providers. Every stolen kilowatt of power or litre of water depletes the very systems meant to serve the nation.
In practical terms, he explained, when the rich steal electricity, it contributes to power outages—popularly known as “Dumsor“—for the poor. When the elite tap into illegal water lines, it results in rationing and shortages for ordinary citizens.
The implications, he warned, are national in scale and growing in severity. If impunity becomes normalized among the privileged, then the rule of law is not being undermined from the grassroots—but from the rooftops.
“And when the roof collapses, it crushes everyone below. …This cannot be allowed to fester like galamsey. We made the mistake once with galamsey. We allowed the powerful to hijack our rivers, raid the forest reserves, destroy our farmlands, and pollute our future—because they were ‘connected.’”
Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare
A similar trajectory, he cautioned, awaits the utility sector if the government allows influential estates to get away with nothing more than public embarrassment.
He insisted that this is a moment for strong legal action. Law enforcement agencies, he urged, must take the lead.
This includes prosecuting offenders, imposing hefty fines, revoking licenses, and reviewing contracts. More importantly, owners and executives involved in these acts should be held personally accountable.
Prof. Asare drew a stark contrast between the treatment of petty offenders and the impunity enjoyed by the elite. “We cannot incarcerate poor people for stealing tomatoes and look away when luxury estates steal public utilities.”
True justice, he argued, means that the law must not be swayed by elitism or social status.
Reawakening Urged to Combat Utility Fraud
Prof. Asare further denounced any attempt to whitewash such criminal acts as “technical irregularities,” asserting that this is nothing short of deliberate fraud against the public purse.
The cost is not merely financial—it erodes institutions like the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), imposes additional costs on honest consumers, and ultimately hinders national progress.
Even more troubling, Prof. Asare observed, is the irony of the situation: those who benefit the most from a functioning, stable society are among those chipping away at its foundations. “This is madness, and it must end.”
He called for what he termed a “reawakening”—a return to principle, enforcement, and accountability. This, he said, must involve visible, unapologetic action from top leadership. No more selective condemnation or backdoor settlements.
“Let Rehoboth and Adwoa Wangara become case studies in accountability, not footnotes in the history of elite impunity. Let the gated communities know: we see you, and the law will reach you.”
Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare
According to him, the era of impunity is over, and no amount of wealth or prestige can shield wrongdoers from the reach of the law.
If Ghana fails to curb this rising tide of elite utility theft, he warned, it will forfeit its moral authority to demand lawful behavior from its citizens. The time to act is now.
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