Ijeoma Agudosi
The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has banned the use of untreated wooden poles, substandard materials and poor installations by electrical contractors and Distribution companies (Discos).
It also banned bad construction practices in the power industry and other allied workplaces to guarantee the delivery of safe and stable power supply to customers, it said in a statement.
The statement said NEMSA addressed a memo dated February 4, 2016, to the 11 Discos, informing them of the ban. Such poor practices have hindered delivery of safe, stable and reliable power supply to Nigerians, it said.
The Managing Director of NEMSA, Engr. Peter Ewesor, said the decision was informed by reports from its inspectorate field officers after a nationwide monitoring and evaluation of network and power systems.
He said: “During the exercise, the indiscriminate use of substandard materials, equipment and bad construction practices in industry by electrical contractors and Discos alike were discovered.”
Ewesor warned the Discos and the electrical installation contractors against the use of substandard materials, equipment and practices in the power industry.
He decried the use of untreated wooden poles, wooden cross-arms, un-galvanised channel/angle irons, improper tie straps and un-galvanised bolts and nuts.
Other things he warned against using them included split conductors and cables which used to result in sudden snapping of conductors and network collapse, undersize conductors and cables limiting current carrying capacity and the use of fake/non -copper (aluminium) cables for indoor wiring and installations