BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU
.
The Management of Transpower Electricity Distribution Limited (TEDL) has condemned the indiscriminate destruction of its power infrastructure by contractors allegedly engaged by the Imo State Government.
.
The development has thrown some customers into darkness, as both the Low Tension (LT) and High Tension (HT) poles serving them were broken and transformers damaged.
.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Group Head, Corporate Communications, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Mr. Emeka Ezeh.
.
Transpower is a subsidiary of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) licensed by Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC) to distribute electricity within the State.
.
In the statement, the distribution company lamented the impact of the activities of government contractors who destroyed its equipment without notice, stressing that they ought to have worked with the company to agree on modalities for relocating the facilities in a coordinated manner.
.
“We are not against the state government carrying out developmental projects, but we are concerned with the continued destruction of our facilities without recourse to the company”, Ezeh stated.
.
“To make matters worse, the state government has continued to construct and extend distribution lines in an uncoordinated manner without consideration for safety standards.
.
On the 30th of August 2025, at Orlu, 6 High Tension (HT) poles behind Orlu Hotel – supplying electricity to Mgbee, Ogboko, Omuma Isiaku, and Ugbelle communities were destroyed by excavator operators that were reclaiming land on behalf of the state government. The incident resulted in the tripping of Orlu 33kv line on earth fault, leaving the customers without electricity supply.
.
According to the company, the development was reported to the Chairman of Orlu Local Government Area, who confirmed that the project was under the Imo State Government and promised to contact the operators handling it.
.
However, efforts by the company to formally report the matter at Orlu Police Station were frustrated, as the DPO declined to record the case or arrest the excavator operators, stating that “he cannot use his office to fight the state government”.
.
He instead advised the company to dialogue with the state government to resolve the matter.
.
The company recalled that in the early hours of 14th May 2025, its Orlu District Office was visited with an excavator sent by the Imo State Government, and property and equipment belonging to the company were all destroyed.
.
The Management of Transpower expressed concern that these repeated incidents look like orchestrated plans to frustrate its operations, which is almost crippling electricity distribution in the state. It therefore appealed to the Executive Governor of Imo State to urgently intervene and address the situation.
.
“As a critical stakeholder that shares in the developmental vision of the government of Imo State, we are committed to supporting it to actualize its goals, but we must be carried along in the plan so that it would be seamless”, the company stated.
Comment here