May 8, 2018

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) said on Tuesday that it had lost over 320 transformers to vandals in Akwa Ibom in the last two years.

PHEDC Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr John Onyi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Eket, headquarters of Eket Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom.

He explained that apart from the Eket axis, the company at large had lost over 320 transformers to act of vandalism in the last two years.

“This is aside the ones that were replaced by the company,” Onyi said.

He said that the situation had caused the company huge financial loss.

Onyi, therefore, called on members of the public to step up vigilance by reporting suspicious movements around PHEDC installations to security agents.

He said that the company had raised alarm over the spate of vandalism of its transformers in Eket and Ikot Abasi LGAs, adding that about 13 transformers of various sizes were vandalised in the area in the last two months.

According to Onyi, the unwarranted action of the vandals had plunged the company’s customers in many locations in the area into total darkness.

He named some of the affected areas to include Liverpool 1and 2, Eket Secretariat, Ikot Udoma, Gravine 1, Edua road/ TRC junction among others.

Also commenting on the issue, some youths in Eket condemned the upsurge in the activities of vandals in the area, saying it had caused untold hardship to the people of the community and its environs.

Mr Charles Enodien, a youth leader, expressed displeasure over the frequent power outage in the area, saying that unknown youths were involved in vandalism of PHEDC installations in the area.

Enodien attributed the incessant vandalism to lack of unemployment.

“Some youths vandalised PHEDC installations in Mkpo Street and made away with the armoured cable last week.

“The area has been thrown into darkness for over a week now.

“The rate at which facilities are being vandalised in Eket metropolis is alarming and it calls for concern by stakeholders, youths, elders and security agencies to find lasting solution to the problem,” he said.

Mr Ephraim Mbong, another youth, corroborated Enodien’s claim calling for stringent measures to address the problem.

Mbong urged the people to form vigilante group in order to prevent electricity facilities from vandals in the area.

He also called on government at all levels to evolve policies that would provide employment to the teeming unemployed youths in the society.