Following the electrocution of Miss Juliana Oluchi Anekwe, a 300-level student of the University of Lagos, the Federal Government yesterday warned that it will sanction any distribution company that engaged in the use of substandard electricity installation equipment within its operations.
The Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation and also Chief Executive Officer Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA),Mr Peter Ewesor who led the Federal Government Investigative Panel on the death of Anekwe accused the utility companies of using substandard materials, unprofessional practices, negligence and poor response to inherent problems in their networks.
He said that Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) would ensure that distribution companies Comply with international best practice in installation of electricity equipment nationwide.
Ewesor said that electricity distribution companies in the country have been indicted with recent alarming rate of electrical accidents and electrocutions nationwide.
He said that electrical accidents and electrocution have become a reoccurring incident in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
Ewesor cited the Unilag incident and the death of a 15-year-old pupil, Afusat Musa, in a mosque on Ishaga Road, Idi-Araba in Lagos as some of the incidences that made the press briefing imperative in order to sensitise the distribution companies and the public on the need for extra safety consciousness.
According to him, undoubtedly, the two promising young girls lost their lives on account of electrocution from bad networks and unprofessional practices in the industry.
“From records available, the electrocution occurred as a result of poor state of the distribution companies’ network and negligence on the part of the distribution company in charge of the areas, where the incidents occurred.
“This spate of electrical accidents and electrocutions leading to unwarranted loss of lives and property as well as down time of the supply to consumers nationwide is unacceptable, condemnable and reproachable,” Ewesor explained.
He identified some of the inherent problems, which regularly lead to electrical accidents and electrocutions to include: allowing networks to pass dangerously over and in between buildings, structures and market places without safety clearances.
Others include lack of regular monitoring and evaluation of networks for routine and preventive maintenance purposes by the distribution companies, the use of substandard or adulterated materials like undersized and un-stranded conductors, as well as untreated wooden poles like in the case of the incident at the University of Lagos.
Speaking on the case of the University of Lagos, Ewesor stated that the Onike 11KV feeder line that passes through the university is in a state of disrepair and also poorly maintained.
He also identified the use of substandard, adulterated, un-stranded and undersized All Aluminium Conductor (AAC) numerous joints as one of the causes of the accident.
Ewesor also cited as one of the causes of Unilag incident, “un-stranded conductor with continuous arcing at the open joints/kinks which eventually melted, snapped and dropped directly on the late Miss Juliana Oluchi Anekwe at the instant she was at the spot.
He blamed the situation on “negligence on the part of Eko Electricity Distribution as the arcing situation had existed overtime without being attended to.”
“The protection schemes and devices in the network were in a state of disrepair and thus failed to respond appropriately for prompt isolation of the line when it snapped and fell on the victim and to the ground.
Ewesor said that in view of the increasing human traffic at the University of Lagos, his agency has directed that the overhead Onike 11KV Feeder line should no longer be used in its present status but should be re-routed underground to avoid future incidents.
“Discos should note that appropriate enforcement orders and possible sanctions will be meted out for non-compliance with the recommendations of all previous and future monitoring reports sent to them by NEMSA field electrical inspectors nationwide,” Ewesor added.