PHED, TCN trade blame as windstorm destroys facilities in Akwa Ibom

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) are blaming each other over an early morning windstorm that destroyed facilities at the Transmission Company premises in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.

The incident occurred on Tuesday during the early morning rain in the state capital, destroying electric poles, cables, and a transformer near the fence at Afaha Ube Transmission station.

An eyewitness and resident on the street, Edet Emmanuel, said the windstorm started at about 4 am, cutting off the branch of an ornamental tree planted by the fence of the transmission company.

Emmanuel further explained that the fallen branch of the tree affected low-tension cables and poles near the transformer, causing them to collapse and block the entire road, making it impassable for motorists and pedestrians.

He expressed relief that the incident happened in the early morning when there were fewer people around, as it could have caused casualties if it occurred during the day.

“The poles have no strength in the soil as they have all expired. Even the poles that the cables connect to the transformer have all decayed.

“Look at the wall that protects the transformer, it has completely decayed. How do you expect them to survive the windstorm?

“The storm was not even wild enough to pull down electric poles, but because Electricity PHED facilities are obsolete and very weak, it pulled them down with a short threat from the wind.”

Speaking to journalists at the site of the incident along Afaha Ube, off Ikot Ekpene road, a senior official of PHED at the IBB Way branch described the incident as ‘an Act of God.’

While exchanging words with officials from the affected Transmission station, the PHED Operational Manager exonerated the company from the disaster, claiming that it was not their duty to trim the tree planted in the Transmission premises, even though it caused havoc to power lines within the Transmission station.

One of the staff members from the Transmission station, who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimization by his employers, explained that it was the duty of PHED to clear all cable lines from any obstruction, but they refused to do so.

“I have called PHED officials several times to come and cut down this tree to save their cable lines from disaster, but they didn’t show up until it caused this damage today.

“It is the responsibility of PHED to change weak facilities like poles, clear the power lines, and replace other weak installations that may pose a danger to their lines, but they ignore it,” he stated.

Meanwhile, one of the residents of Afaha Ube, where the Transmission station is located, Mr Bassey Otu, complained about some antisocial activities of PHED towards them.

They listed the acts by PHED against them to include outrageous bills, refusal to repair transformers and cables, and inability to replace weak poles in the streets.

“Recently, PHED demanded N250,000 from us as an electricity bill. They colluded with the community to generate incredible bills.

“PHED cannot replace weak cables. In extreme cases, we repair transformers, buy poles, while they only come to collect bills,” he lamented.

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