‘Vandalization of transformers, a greatest threat to Ebonyi state govt. – Commissioner, Oge Ali laments

By Uchenna Okeh Abakaliki

Ebonyi state commissioner on power and energy, Peter Oge Ali has lamented that the greatest challenge facing the state government is the vandalization of transformers by hoodlums.

He said that vandalism has caused the state government sleepless nights, but applauded the state governor, Francis Nwifuru for his dogged fight to ensure that vandals are brought to book in the state.

The Commissioner, Oge Ali made this known while speaking with newsmen at his office located at Ochiudo centenary city Abakaliki capital of Ebonyi State.

He said: “The vandalization is something that is giving the state government sleepless nights, the governor is trying. He has been replacing vandalized transformers. 

“When transformers are replaced, the following two weeks, you see the vandals going back to attack it again. Even within here now, we have replaced two or three transformers within some of the blocks in the Ochiudo city. But still, before you know it, they vandalize it. So it’s a serious concern for all of us. 

“And you and I know that, especially you journalists. You don’t know anything about electrical appliances. So it is those who know about it that do it.

“The funny thing about it is that transformers sell between 10 to 15 million. And when they vandalize it, they just sell it at a give away price of about 200,000. But they have succeeded in making the entire community or bringing the entire community into darkness.

“So it is a serious concern. We as a state have even started this issue of making sure that any transformer we install, we put in a protector. But they have started coming up with new ways of destroying the protector, and do whatever they want.

The government installed a concrete pole from immigration to perm sites along the expressway. If you go there now, close to the police checkpoint, you see that vandals have even brought the concrete poles down. 

“They used the equipment to bring the concrete poles down and collected the cables. So, it is the sophisticated people that are doing it. They know what they are doing. And I think they have syndicates.  The other time, we went as far as getting the people that are buying these things from them. We travelled to Enugu State to arrest some of them. 

“As soon as they vandalize, they already have a customer. So we are doing everything. And His Excellency is trying to replace the vandalized transformers. 

“They keep on keeping the people in darkness. You know you can’t do without electricity. You can’t do without water. And so, you can’t do without electricity and water. It is very important.

“The government has put so much money into electricity. But we are not getting the result, because of the vandals.

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He, however, vowed to begin clampdown on the vandals; “There was a time we were doing jingles for over two months on the radio warning the vandals. But it doesn’t matter to them. We have been warning them.

“We will soon put another jingle. Because like what we are doing at the hatchery now, if you go there, you will cry for the government. If you see the type of damage, the government was determined to reactivate that place.

“The hatchery can’t function without electricity. So the government has approved a huge amount of money that we are putting there. But if you go there and see what human beings are doing to the state, you will cry.

“So vandals are all over the place. But it appears that Ebonyi town is the worst. Until one day, the ringleader, the syndicate, you know God works in a miraculous way. All of them will be arrested” he stressed.