Yemisi Izuora
Ikeja Electric Plc said it has cut off power supply to the Agege 33KV feeder to forestall any threat to safety of lives, due to the huge impact of erosion on the Double Circuit Powerline Tower located in Shagari Estate, Alimosho Local Government, which is currently at risk of imminent collapse.
The company, which cautioned residents of the area against carrying out activities around the 33KV Power Tower situated by the Estate canal, said the outage will temporarily affect residents in Abule Egba, Tabon-Tabon, Pen Cinema, Orile, Power Line, NYSC, Arigbanla and environs. However, IE engineers are currently working to supply the affected areas through alternative power lines.
Speaking on the development, IE’s Head of Corporate Communications, Felix Ofulue explained that the company needed to take that approach as safety of lives and properties is paramount in all its operations.
He said: “Cutting power supply on the tower is a “safety-first” approach to ensure that no live is endangered. The base structure of the pole is quite solid as it rests on pile foundation. However, we want to appeal to residents affected by the outage to be patient as technical teams are working on back feeding their location through alternative feeders”.
He further explained that the company was in talks with Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other relevant agencies over ways to contain the extensive erosion that has occurred in the area and also fortify their assets.
Ofulue, who noted that the inclement weather, persistent rains and weak soil structure had caused an increase in cases of fallen poles, snapped wires and fault related outages, called on residents to remain vigilant and careful especially during rains.
“We have issued multiple rain/inclement weather alerts across all our publicity media which provide some guideline for our customers on what to do in case of an emergency or accident”, he said. He also advised customers to visit the company website for weather updates and alerts which will further provide them with safety tips and guidelines which may save lives.
In a similar development, Ofulue, who called on all stakeholders to exercise greater safety consciousness, confirmed that efforts to replace the poles, damaged conductors and burnt 400m of conductors attached to Oko-Oba Feeder were already underway.
The electricity assets were destroyed when a truck conveying Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) lost control and ran into 11kV concrete HT pole and caught fire damaging the assets. The incident occurred last Tuesday.