ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
Home Features

Disaster looms in Lagos

■ As low-hanging electricity lines pose danger in Oshodi area ■ Ikeja Electric, LASEMA react  

6th December 2020
in Features
0
Disaster looms in Lagos
0
SHARES
747
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Cosmas Omegoh

 

Sagging low-tension electricity cables are now posing great threats to residents of Lagos. A lot of such danger exists around the city.

Somewhere around Bolade Bus stop inward Oshodi from Agege, a row of such low-hanging service lines can be seen sagging badly and threatening public safety.

The said power lines invite urgent attention to stave off disaster that might follow. Already everyone around the area is fear-stricken. 

Although the power distribution firm – Ikeja Distribution Co Ltd – which owns the lines has promised to act fast after the incident was “escalated,” but the danger posed by that negligence cannot be wished away.

Even the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has assured it would move to avert the impending danger.

The Oshodi incident is just one out of the many awaiting disasters in Lagos. Many part of the city are facing similar challenge. But unfortunately, many – including the army of electricity workers who ought to act to avert such disaster – look away while it beckons. 

According to investigation by our reporter, from time to time, power cables, some of which have been there for long snap, sometimes aided by stormy winds, killing innocent residents. Sometimes, some livewires fall to the ground and remain there transmitting enormous amount of electricity, which may cause electrocution.  

Our investigation also revealed that sometimes city residents mistakenly touch low-hanging or sagging cables and also get electrocuted. In some instances, neighbours also get killed alongside while trying to rescue their own who fell into danger.

Each time people die from such accidents, sympathisers usually wept their hearts out and it then ends there. The electricity distribution company in charge of the lines might just not show up. Every one moves on.

Lagos with its large population which averages over 20 million people, has enormous power needs. Its inhabitants – both individual and corporate – require huge amount of power to keep the city buzzing with life. Often, the city’s real power supply needs out-stripes its actual requirement. It is a big challenge to get few hours of supply because everyone needs the same power to keep life and business going.   

But often, this demands that available power stops many consumers from seeing manifest danger looming around them.  As long as they are guaranteed a few hours of daily supply of electricity, everything goes. Everyone, including electricity workers, is unfazed about safety and standards.   

At the moment, Lagos is severed by two power distribution companies – the Eko Distribution Co Ltd and Ikeja Distribution Co Ltd. Many call them DISCOs for short. Both have a huge task in their hand catering to the demand of their markets now growing every day. In some instances, the firms are overwhelmed. But they march on to sustain their service amid the deluge of complaints which flood their offices as long as the consumers’ needs are not satisfactorily met.

Oshodi where the looming disaster was observed, is one of the most boisterous parts of the metropolitan Lagos with a huge population and high electricity consumption rate.  Besides that, Oshodi is often in the news sometimes for the wrong reasons. Quit notorious, Oshodi ranks the same on the weighing scale with Ojuelegba, Mile 2 and Obalende also in the city. When streets urchins which maintain a vice grip on Oshodi are not on the rampage, members of the restless National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) are on one another’s throat, either forcing a change of government, or fighting for supremacy. They constantly keep the area on edge. Coupled with the hordes of street traders which have literarily wrestled the state government to the ground to keep their positions, the area is a beehive. Everyone of them contributes towards making Oshodi an area hard to ignore – for what it is.

But Oshodi and its people have for long ignored these low-tension electricity lines which pose real danger to the area. This awaiting disaster  somewhere after Bolade Bus stop on approach from Agege is potent, but has been hugely ignored for long. Right in front of a row of shopping plazas overlooking the carriage way inward Oshodi, a roll of sagging power service cables stars everyone in the face. The dangerous portion of the lines which stretches up to 70 meters apart, has dropped low badly.  A five-feet tall fellow can just grab it by a mere raise of the hands. Those carrying loads sticking upwards can have them easily entangled in the lines. Everything about the situation smacks of disaster ready to happen, a ready death notice to the undiscerning.

When our reporter visited the area, it was observed that no one was paying attention to the situation. Everyone, traders, passers-bye, minded their own businesses, carrying on without concern. Only a few of the traders cared, admitting that the situation around them was truly a challenging one.

Right in front of the plazas – Mustabibat Plaza – one of the traders who identified himself as Paulinus decried the situation.

“This is real danger facing all of us here. We have been expecting the company in charge of these lines to come and remove or rectify them, but they have not come here for once to do so.

“They only come around to drop exorbitant bills and that’s all.

“The way these wire are, we are helpless. They are simply not good for us. We just pray that one day, someone does not mistakenly hit any of them and get killed,” he lamented. 

Another trader – a female – who identified herself as Bola equally decried what she called ‘disaster in the making.’

“We are not happy with this situation. We might be neglecting this problem believing that something untoward will not happen someday. But it will surely happen if something is not done about it.

“We will be happy if you (the reporter) will draw the attention of the authorities to this. They need to come here and see things for themselves,” she pleaded, while admitting that no one had been hurt by the impending danger.

She recalled that there are similar challenges in some other parts of the state, which sometimes result in death.

“In Mushin where I live, a boy was killed early this year when he threw a knockout at a low-hanging power cable while celebrating the New Year. 

“Instantly, the line snapped and fell on him; got him electrocuted immediately.

“We pray that something bad does not happen here someone day.

 “But beyond our prayers, I believe that the right thing should be done by the electricity company in charge. Let them come here and carry out repairs works on these line,” she pleaded. 

An electrical engineer, Mr Mike Onyekachi, told our reporter that low-hanging power lines could cause real disaster to the area where they exist.

“If such power lines are left unattended to, someone might mistakenly hit them and once there is electricity running in them, electrocution is sure to occur.

“Electricity is a good servant, but can be potential disaster if not handled properly.

“For safety sake, electricity companies periodically need to be checking to replace their weak poles and cables before they cause harm to the people they serve.

“You have noticed that once there is a rain storm power supply is cut to avoid snapping cables from dropping on the residents,” he pointed out.

He advised city dwellers to be very careful when they have anything to do around power lines as they are potentially dangerous to everyone.       

When our reporters contacted the Corporate Communications Manager of Ikeja Electric Distribution Co Ltd, Mr Felix Ofolue, whose company owns the power lines, he said he was at a meeting. A lady who took the call demanded to know the exact location of the lines and promised that the company would act.

“We have an App, may be you have to upload the App so as to give us the exact location of the line so that our undertaking unit can visit the area.

“You have only escalated a danger, the next thing for us is to send a technical team there to access and correct the wrongs. That is what we do; we try to correct danger once we notice it in our network.”

Mr Nosa Okumbor of LASEMA’s Public Relations Unit also decried the situation. He promised to contact Ikeja Electicity Distribution Company as soon as possible to respond to the situation.

“We have an active collaboration with the electricity distribution companies in town. If we notice a crashing pole, a high or low tension line having problems, once we are alerted, we get in touch with their owners.

“We have collaboration too with other agencies, LASTMA, Federal Road Safety Corps etc, as a way of preventing disasters in the city.

“As an emergency management agency, we do not sit down and wait for disasters to occur and then just react. We strive to prevent them,” he said, assuring that he would contact the authorities concerned to save the situation.

Click Here>>>>>>7 Natural Herbs to Finally End Premature Ejaculation and Weak Erection<<<<<<

Click Here>>>>>>Anti-kidnap and anti-theft device for tracking and listening<<<<<<

Tags: Bolade Busikeja electricoshodi
Rapheal

Rapheal

Related Posts

Jimanze Ego-Alowes: A modern-day Diogenes
Features

Jimanze Ego-Alowes: A modern-day Diogenes

14th January 2021
Ohanaeze Lagos exposes how man behind allegation of forged certificate was impeached 19 years ago
Features

Ohanaeze: Who is next secretary-general we can trust?

14th January 2021
Tribute to late  Ego-Alowes Jimanze
Features

Tribute to late Ego-Alowes Jimanze

14th January 2021
Next Post
Men, take care of yourselves

Politicians, men of means and dirty sexual escapades

Elections and fatal recipes

Buhari, beasts and blood

Deeply divided country

Politics of insecurity

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

First identified victim of Indonesian jet crash for burial

Taiwan president holds online meeting with U.S. envoy to UN

Trump ban was right but sets dangerous precedent – Twitter chief

COVID-19: Nigeria records 1,398 new infections, active cases now 20,062

Osimhen out until February

Ndidi under pressure to dump Leicester

Trending

Nigeria Tennis Federation unveils its 2021 programmes
Sporting Sun

Nigeria Tennis Federation unveils its 2021 programmes

14th January 2021
0

 The Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) has unveiled its 2021 activities aimed at enhancing the development of the...

WHO plans to declare DRC Ebola free

WHO team arrives in Wuhan in search of novel coronavirus origins

14th January 2021
Herbalist in court over alleged N1.2m fraud

Court upholds South Korean ex-president Park’s 20-year jail sentence

14th January 2021
First identified victim of Indonesian jet crash for burial

First identified victim of Indonesian jet crash for burial

14th January 2021
Taiwan president holds online meeting with U.S. envoy to UN

Taiwan president holds online meeting with U.S. envoy to UN

14th January 2021
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on social media:

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist