Mr Oladele Amoda, the Chief Executive Officer, EKo Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDP) on Saturday over N50 million is been lost to electricity equipment vandalism within its network monthly.
Amoda disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos against the backdrop of continuous power outage within its network.
He condemned the increase in equipment vandalism within its operations, adding that it has forced the company to spend money meant for other electricity development projects.
He said that electricity materials, such as cables and wires, among others, had either been stolen or vandalised within the its operations, with the recent one taking place in Apapa, Mushin, Ikoyi Ajegunle and Festac area of Lagos State.
According to him, equipment such as 300KVA and 500KVA were vandalised in Eko Disco.
“Vandalism of electricity installations in the areas has become a problem. Within the past four months, the unit has recorded further acts of vandalism of nine transformer substations.
“Most time the vandals carted away eight metres of 150mm2x4 core cable, cable sockets and ferrules.
“We have raised alarm over the increased rate of vandalism of our equipments in recent time, while we beefed up surveillance, ‘’ he said.
Amoda, therefore called for the review of existing laws on vandalism of electricity equipment and other public facilities and their replacement with laws that would stipulate stiffer penalties against culprits.
He said that the stringent laws and penalty would help reduce and possibly eradicate the nefarious act, adding that the existing laws against vandalism of electricity equipment were lenient on culprits, hence the need for their review.
He decried a situation whereby a convicted vandal only bags two or three months of jail term after causing indelible damage to the economic and social wellbeing of Nigerians who are affected by acts of vandalism.
The Eko Disco boss further stated that vandalism of electricity equipment and other public utility facilities was a serious act of economic sabotage and should be treated as such.
He said that sales of public power equipment such as transformers, aluminium conductors and armoured cables should be better regulated to make it difficult for vandalised electricity equipment to be taken to open market for sale.
Besides meting out stiffer penalty to convicted vandals, Amoda also advocated for quick trial and determination of cases of vandalism by the setting up of special courts to handle such cases.
He said that about 30 vandals had been record dead in the last three months, while several had been arrested and handed over to the security agencies.
The EKEDP boss said that a total number of 25 distribution transformer substations were vandalised and various electrical items were stolen from these stations, thereby throwing the communities being supplied from the stations into darkness.
“Apart from throwing communities into darkness, the cost of replacing vandalised equipment is colossal and it can no longer bear such costs.
He, therefore, urged Community Development Associations, CDAs, and other well-meaning community members to be on the alert and assist the power company in curbing equipment vandalism in their localities.
He also called for the continued support of the Police, the State Security Service, SSS, and other security agencies in putting an end to the damage of electrical equipment
