15 October 2014, Abeokuta – Electricity Distribution Company, Sagamu Business District, Peter Oyelami, has said the company lost more than N20m worth of power distribution materials to vandals, who invaded its installations in the Sagamu area over the past five months.
While addressing residents, who had gathered to witness the trial of suspects accused of stealing electrical materials belonging to the company at the Magistrate Court 1, Sagamu, Ogun State, Peter lamented that despite the effort being made by the firm to ensure stable supply of electricity in its areas of operations, vandals had continued to disrupt power distribution.
Vandalised transformer (Punch photo)
He, however, said the IBEDC would redouble its effort to stop the activities of the vandals with the help of security agencies, adding that the company was working on installing electronic devices to monitor its installations.
Oyelami said, “There are many communities in darkness because of the activities of electric cable thieves and other vandals, who invaded our facilities and installations. They are desperate to incapacitate our company because of their own selfish goal. They are making the job more difficult for IBEDC but we are committed to ensuring that we stop their activities by using all the available legal provisions to bring culprits to justice.
“The cost implication of the activities of these vandals on the socio-economic lives of our customers is unimaginable. More so, it is affecting our own investments as a company. From April till date, we have lost about N20m worth of equipment and facilities to the vandals within the Sagamu district alone.
“We will continue to make efforts to satisfy our customers and provide good services to them. We will not be deterred or discouraged.”
Oyelami said the company realised that the destructive activities of the vandals could only be curbed if communities volunteered information and cooperated with security agencies to guard electrical installations in their areas.
He said IBEDC would give cash reward to anybody who helped it to thwart the activities of the vandals.
– The Punch
