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Eko Disco to re-route electricity feeder lines underground in public places

By on October 28, 2015

As part of the measures to replace obsolete facilities and curb accidents in its network, Eko Electricity Distribution Company is set to remove its overhead feeder lines in public places and re-route them underground

The company also said it had spent over $9.7 millionto procure about 57, 500 smart meters for customers.
Briefing journalists at the company’s quarterly press conference, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, MrOladeleAmoda, said replacement of all obsolete cables and re-routing of feeder

lines within its network became necessary toguard against frequent cable damage and loss of lives through accidents and activities of vandals.

Amoda said as the company proceeded with its commitment to optimal servicedelivery to customers, it is sad to see some unfortunate incidentsthat appeared to stain the gains of the company’s efforts.

Citing the recent death of 300-level student of the University of Lagos, Miss Juliana Anekwe, who was recently electrocuted on the campus, when a live wire fell on her, Amoda noted that “One of such incidents is the recent electrocution in Unilag in whichthe precious life of a young and promising Nigerian was lost.As an organisation with a very high premium on human lives, we areso pained and grieved by this incident and we have taken measures toprevent occurrence”.

Amoda further stated that the snapped overhead line that led to loss of life was part of theobsolete network inherited from PHCN, adding that the incident was more painfulto Eko Disco.
“The line was already slated for conversion to underground cables aspart of our network upgrade project when the incident occurred,” Amoda added.

On metering, Amoda said the company had spent over $9.7million to procure about 57, 500 smart meters for customers, adding that “to tackle the metering challenge, a total of 7,500 maximum
demand meters had been procured at the cost N2.8 billion, whileanother 50,000 meters for non-maximum demand customers have beenprocured”

“These meters constitute only the first phase of our metering planthat will see our customers close to 400,000 metered free of charge.Installation of the first phase meters both for maximum demand and
non-maximum demand customers has already begun.Though it will not be possible for us to reach all customers at thesame time, the assurance for all customers is that in the end,everyone will be metered with smart meters free of charge,” he said.

“ It is equally important to stress here that because of our beliefin contributing meaningfully to the local economy, we have procured alarger portion of these meters from local meter manufacturers.’’

Amoda said about N50 billion would be spent to cover all customerswithin the next three years, adding that over N10 billion had beenspent so far for the rehabilitation of equipment within the network.

THISDAY gathered that apart from electrical accidents caused by obsolete equipment, the company has also suffered loss of equipment and power interruption by activities of vandals, some of whom have lost their lives in the process.
Residents of Ijora causeway woke up last week to find the corpse of an unidentified man by the transformer supplying power to Delta Liaison Company located in the area. Close to the lifeless body of the deceased was a jigsaw.
While no one in the community could confirm the identity of the man, many of the people spoken to by officials of the company said he must have met his death while trying to vandalise some electricity cables within the electricity distribution sub-station.
Confirming the incident, the Head, Corporate Communication of Eko Electricity Distribution Company Mr. Godwin Idemudiasaid the man must have gotten to the sub-station and started carrying his criminal act when there was no power supply but luck ran out on him when supply was unexpectedly restored and he was instantly electrocuted.
Idemudia further stated that the matter had already been reported to the police while the corpse of the suspected cable vandal had been deposited at Yaba General Hospital Mortuary.
While stating that no one had yet come to identify the man, Idemudia said the incident would further debunk the erroneous belief by some members of the public that only workers in the electricity industry could engage in vandalism of electricity equipment.
He added that if not for the sudden restoration of power supply to the sub-station, the man might have succeeded in his nefarious act while accusing fingers would have been pointed at the company’s staff in the area.

 

[ThisDay]