Abuja – The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), says its 330 KVA Alaoji-Calabar tower valued N45million has been vandalised by hoodlums.
Mr Abdullahi Salisu, the Executive Director Legal Services, NDPHC, made this known at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, the vandalism happened at Ikwuano in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of Abia.
He called on Federal, State Governments and security agencies, to wade in the matter so as not to delay the provision of power to Nigerians.
Salisu said this act would delay the early completion of North-South loop which linked Anambra, Imo, Abia and Akwa-Ibom states.
“A case in hand is the vandalism at Ikwuano in Ugwunagbo LGA on May 28.
“We call for your urgent intervention. In spite of arrest of the suspect by Ikwuano Divisional Police Headquarters, he had neither been arraigned nor interrogated.
“The dream of stable power supply remains a mirage unless favourable atmosphere exists for its realization’’, he said.
Salisu said, “this criminal act constituted economic sabotage to the nation. There is rumour that more vandalism might be unleashed on NDPHC properties again.
“On May 24, at Energo Work Yard in Umuahia, where NDPHC housed their equipment for construction of the Enugu –Ikot Ekpene Transmission lines, robbers went there and vandalised NPHC’s equipment.
“The robbers carted away 10 drums of transmission conductors.’’
Salisu said this would make power supply not to get to the end users, if the people whose domain these infrastructure traverses continued to destroy them.
He added that absence of stable power in the country was an economic issue, “it has social consequences.’’
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According to him, NDPHC located its National Integrated Power Projects in the Southern part of the nation because that is where there is availability of gas to run the plants.
Salisu explained that vandalism was causing NDPHC several millions of naira, adding that some contractors were expatriates and had to be paid because they had been mobilised to sites.
He said that NDPHC conducted feasibility/impact assessment studies and compensated all the communities involved, along their networks before erecting any structure.
He added that it was not reasonable for any group of persons to vandalise their properties.
He called on the governments and security agencies to come to their aid and put a stop to vandalism. (NAN)
