The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has cried out over the activities of some host communities in its Enugu Regional operation which is hindering the ongoing upgrading and expansion of the facilities in the area.
According to TCN, this has led to the abandonment of 21 power projects in the region for a period of about five years.
Despite this, however, the company said it is doing a lot to improve power transmission in the region with the procurement of new transformers and refurbishment and upgrading of old ones.
For instance, the New Heaven station is witnessing massive upgrading and installation of more transformers and Oji River is being upgraded to cover more areas.
General Manager, Transmission, Enugu Region, Engr. Emmanuel Akpa, explained that the company aims to produce enough supplies to the discos and even redundant, which could be picked whenever needed.
Akpa disclosed this while briefing journalists in Enugu while taking them on inspection tour of some of the ongoing and abandoned projects.
“The New heaven substation for example, which used to have a capacity of 300MW, is currently being upgraded to 600 MW capacity.
“Ugwuaji, Nkalagu, Abakalliki, Oji River and the new 2x60MVA 132/33KV substation at 9th Mile Corner.
“In Onitsha sub region, capacity up-grade had been effected both in Nibo and Agu-Awka substations. Same things are applicable in Apir sub region with transformer capacity up-grade at Makurdi, Otukpo and Yandev”, Akpa explained.
He disclosed that the projects abandoned started about five years ago and were aimed to boost power supply in the region, and they are located in Arochukwu, Okigwe, Nnewi, Enugu, Nsukka, Orlu, 9th Mile, Nike in Enugu, among others.
The general manager lamented that such projects had since been completed in other parts of the country, regretting that the ones in the South East region are being sabotaged through litigations from unfriendly host communities and their leaders even when the necessary compensations have been paid to them.
He therefore appealed to stakeholders in the affected host communities, including the Governors, to intervene to save the projects meant for the good of the people.
“This is very disturbing because these contracts have been completed in other zones. These contracts were awarded to take the 132KVA to some places to boost the economic activities. There are power stations where work has been abandoned due to litigation and contest over land ownership. These projects were conceived to galvanize businesses in those areas.
“Government paid for the way lift but from then till now, the projects have not been completed because of selfish demands of our people. Even the ones built are now being vandalized. This is fortunate, people blocking progress coming to them.
“21 projects are abandoned in the South East. They are abandoned because of litigations and at every time in court, they will strangulate the projects. Certain projects of the Federal Government are being killed by some community leaders for their selfish interests and this is affecting the building of substations in the region”, the general manager lamented.
Akpa appealed to South East communities and their leaders to develop positive attitude towards power projects sited in their areas for the economic growth of the area.
He said that the company was facing other challenges in the region such as people building on the TCN right of ways; illegal excavation near TCN towers and installations. He frowned in particular, at the penchant for people to build under high tension lines in areas such as New Artisan market, Goshen Estate and Centenary estate within Enugu metropolis.
Akpa warned of the dire dangers of building under the 330 KVA lines, noting that the radiation from the line could lead to death.
“This is aside the issue of snapping. When it snaps it causes great damage. We have been telling our people about the dangers of building under the power line but nobody cares.
“The Federal Government has stipulated the distance that should be maintained before erecting any building, which is 25 meters on both right and left sides, but people are not ready to comply with it”.
The general manager cited new artisan and Ugwuaji in Enugu state where residents have continued to build under 330KVA lines despite repeated warnings.
Akpa however stated that despite the challenges, the Federal Government has continued to upgrade substations.