Transmission lines in Cross River and Rivers states have been vandalized severally in over two months.
This is according to the head of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Port Harcourt, Dr. Thomas Inugonum.
He recently spoke to the press about this issue after inspecting the company’s facilities. He explained that the transmission part of the power system is super important, so it’s crucial that the lines used to move electricity are always safe.
He highlighted the fact that in places like Calabar in Cross River State and Elelenwo in Rivers State, transmission lines have been damaged several times in over two months until security agencies stepped in to help.
Punch reports that the Transmission Company of Nigeria in the Port Harcourt Region is worried about something happening to its power transmission lines as they pass through different communities in the six states they cover. They are concerned because people are causing problems by interfering with these lines and even stealing the equipment in places like Rivers, Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Bayelsa states. This is making it really hard for them to transmit electricity properly.
Dr. Inugonum said:
- “Many times, we suffer from people attacking the transmission lines, destroying it, removing parts of the towers, making us not to have the transportation done easily. I remember some time ago when I joined my colleagues in the bushes to see these failed transmission lines and what had caused it.
- “We saw some hoodlums even attacking the gas pipeline as well as our transmission lines. If we were not lucky that day, they would have shot us. So, vandalization occurs virtually every time.
- “The right of way of our transmission lines is another challenge we are having because most times the moment you come that you want to start a project, the community sees that there is movement here.”
He requested the help of security agencies to help protect electricity transmission assets in the states that the TCN Port Harcourt office covers.
What you should know
The management team of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in the Port Harcourt Region recently had their quarterly Regional Consultative Meeting with the leaders of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC).
During this meeting, one of the main topics discussed was the safety of workers, particularly concerning the state of insecurity in Owerri, Imo State.
Dr. Thomas Inugonum assured the Union that TCN is actively working together with the State Commissioner of Police, while strategising ways to ensure the safety of TCN’s employees while they are at work, along with others involved in various project sites across the region.
