By Adedapo Adesanya
The Akwa Ibom State Government has accused the staff of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), the police, and other security personnel as being culpable in high-powered electricity theft and vandalism in the state.
Commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Mr John James Etim, said none of these activities can succeed without the involvement of those in the system.
He fired the salvo as the state in recent times has witnessed incessant vandalisation and theft of highly volatile electricity equipment, such as transformers and armoured cables within the state.
The Commissioner warned against wanton vandalisation of electrical equipment in the state, maintaining that some cases of electricity theft and vandalism were beyond the capacity of ordinary people; as highly technical know-how and expertise were needed to execute such.
Mr Etim, who expressed shock that most of the incidents occurred under the watch of the Police, particularly mentioned the vandalisation of a transformer in front of a Police Station in Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, despite the fact that the said transformer was under the Police surveillance.
“People involved in these criminalities are within the system. The development is fast degenerating into the case of the more you look, the less you see.”
The Commissioner assured that the government was working tirelessly to circumvent the system in view of the negative impact of vandalisation on the people and government of Akwa Ibom State while calling on the Police and the management of PHEDC to rise to the challenge.
He identified vandalisation and theft of electricity equipment as the major factors militating against government efforts to meet its deadline for the completion of the Power For All Initiative and urged the people to confront the issue.
“To whom much is given, much is expected. The citizens also owe themselves the responsibility of protecting the power infrastructure in the vicinity of where they live and where they work.
“They must ensure prompt payment of consumption charges and meter their subscription, to avoid estimated billing,” he said.
