Posted by By Tony Edike on
ENUGU - RESIDENTS of Enugu and its environs may suffer acute water scarcity following the vandalization of the electricity transmission.....
ENUGU - RESIDENTS of Enugu and its environs may suffer acute water scarcity following the vandalization of the electricity transmission line supplying power to the Enugu Water Augmentation Scheme which pumps water to booster stations serving the metropolis.
The power line was vandalized at Oji River on the Enugu-Onitsha expressway by unknown persons last week, interrupting electricity supply to the booster stations located at Umudim and Obinofia in Ezeagu local government area.
Electric cables and insulators worth millions of naira were carted away from seven concrete poles knocked down by the vandals believed to have operated in the night.
The state Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Jonathan Ivoke who conducted the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Itanyi round the site at the weekend lamented the nefarious activities of the vandals, saying government was highly disturbed by the development.
Managing Director of the State Water Corporation, Sir Barthlomew Edeh, who was on the team, however, confirmed the disruption of water supply to Enugu on account of the vandalism and called for urgent government's intervention to remedy the situation.
Edeh said that the prompt action of the government would spare citizens of the state the difficulties associated with water scarcity.
Responding, Chief Itanyi who was apparently touched by the extent of damage, made it clear that the state government would not fold its arms and watch miscreants destroy public utilities. While assuring that the state government would take prompt action to redress the situation, he called on communities and council chairmen to set up vigilance groups and provide adequate security for installations in their domain.
In a related development, the member representing Ezeagu constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Chief Paul Anikwe has advised the youths in Obeleagu Umana community to be security conscious and law abiding.
Anikwe who is the deputy leader of the House, made the call while receiving the members of the Obeleagu Umana Progressive Union, 9th Mile Corner and its environs in his constituency office.
He lamented the vandalisation of power installations in the area, noting that the people of Obeleagu Umanah needed electricity to industrialize the area.
He commended the efforts of the State government in its rural development policy thrust adding that it was the responsibility of each community to ensure the security of government installations in their area.
Earlier the Chairman of the group, Mr. Joseph Ozoejike told the lawmaker that the solidarity visit was to appreciate the efforts of the lawmaker to bring government closer to the people. Ozoejike mentioned specifically Chief Anikwe's fight against exam malpractice and illegal collection of fees in schools in the area, the replacement of knocked down concrete poles, floating of neighborhood associations, watch groups among others as commendable exploits of the lawmaker.