Why vandals steal EEDC’s cables, transformer oil, others

The Chief Technical Officer, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Vincent Ekwekwu, has stated that vandals target cables, especially the copper cables, which they melt for making jewelries.

Ekwekwu made the revelation, yesterday, in Ogidi, Anambra State, while flagging off the mobile Meter Asset Provider (MAP) targeted at ensuring customers access prepaid meters within 48 hours.

He stressed the need for more government intervention, especially in the area of regulation, maintaining that since these items are sold in the open markets, if there’s regulation, it becomes almost impossible to dispose them easily.

He, however, said that vandalisation of the firm’s assets is gradually turning unattractive and unprofitable, following measures taken to curb the menace, including reduction of copper content and length of cables.

Lamenting that vandals target cables and transformer oil, particularly the cables’ copper make-up, which they melt and use for jewelleries, he reassured EEDC’s commitment to the fight against incidences of vandalising the company’s electrical facilities across the South East.

According to him, the company had to reduce the cables’ copper content to make it unattractive, as well as reduce the length by mounting the transformer directly on poles. He said: “We’re also introducing aluminum cables in some transformers, which is almost useless to vandals.

“Our engagement with local vigilante, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies in assisting us watch over assets is also yielding positive results.”

The state’s Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Julius Chukwuemeka, disclosed that government has plans to sign strategic partnership agreement with EEDC targeted at encouraging private sectors to invest in power generation in the state to augment national grid supply. He said Governor Chukwuma Soludo is committed to 24-hour power supply in the state as one of his major deliverables for the year.