By Amby Uneze
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Port Harcourt region has embarked on sensitization of communities in Imo State especially the Owerri federal Constituency and Ngor Okpala areas on the need to safeguard their lines and towers from encroachment and vandalism.
In a town hall meeting held over the weekend in Owerri, the State capital, the Managing Director, Engr. Ahmed Abdulaziz drew the attention of traditional rulers, leaders of various communities and the youths on the need to protect the facilities for optimal delivery of prompt services.
The managing director who was represented by Dr. Chika Raymond Ubani, the Assistant general manager Transmission who stood in for the general manager, Port Harcourt region, Engr. Emmanuel Abba revealed that the level of encroachment and vandalism in Enugu axis is high as such embarrassing act is affecting negatively on the smooth operations of the company.
"The level of encroachment and vandalism has rising so much that it usually affects communities from having light, and the amount to fix those damaged areas are usually very high. In Enugu axis, for instance, we have over 10 towers vandalized, which means that all the areas those lines are feeding are cut off," he said.
While educating the people on the dangers of encroachment and vandalism, Ubani emphasized that to keep safe from their lines and towers, certain measures have to be observed and respected in order to avoid sudden death.
He said, "it is important to sensitize the communities on the right of ways (ROWs) as it concerns dangers of vandalism and their safety. The areas our towers carrying our lines traversed are called ROWs. For 132KVA (132,000 votes) lines from the centre of the tower, you have 15 metres to the right and left, given you 30 metres are no-go areas. Then, for 330KVA lines, we have 25 metres left and right each of the tower, making it 50 metres as our ROWs.
So, anything anybody does within that radius, the person is encroaching and the bad news is that anything, including natural cause could occur and such person would be at danger. We are here to let people know that they should not go closer to the towers and lines for their own safety," he noted.
Though, he said that the company has mechanism to dictate immediately when such damage occur, so they could arrest the situation before it gets worse, but warmed communities to be careful and security conscious.
He praised the governor of Imo State for being friendly with the company through his various interventions and enjoined the people not to see government property as nobody's assets rather, they should see them as their own property.
Some traditional rulers who participated in the sensitize include; Eze Obi Ejeshi of Emekuku, Eze Dr. Malachy Onu of Agbala, Chairman of Owerri North local government council, Lucky Abaraonye, Eze Nnanna Oparaochaekwe of Ulakwo, and Eze Boniface Ariri Obibi Uratta.
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