The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Commission (IBEDC) says activities of vandals tampering with the Discos’ facility are preventing it from tending to customers’ needs.
John Ayodele, chief operating officer, condemned the erection of houses, shops and relaxation spots under tension cables, bypassing of meters by 70 per cent of Nigerians, speaking at stakeholders’ engagement and press parley to mark the World Safety and Health at Work Day.
Referencing the theme “Safety and Health and The Future of Work,” he said people must be aware of the dangers of living under power lines and breaching electricity cables, adding that it appeared most Nigerians were willing to break the law than adhere to it.
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“Safety is a factor in life and people must know this. We are dealing with people’s lives and we must provide safety for them. The power lines range from 11,000 volts to 33,000 to 333,000 volts and the key issue is that if you live under the high-tension wire, you are living under a death threat, which is as good as staying in Kirikiri awaiting the noose of the hangman. People who sleep and find it convenient to do trade under such lines should know that it’s dangerous and they should desist from it,” he said.
He ascribed the practice of lawlessness of most Nigerians to the loss of value system in the country but praised officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for helping protect some of their equipment across its five zones of operations.
They are in various strategic discussions with different stakeholders on how to curb the destruction of their properties and are ready to heighten protection, he said.
He believes everyone including staff members must be safety conscious when working on the electricity poles, as the management has realised that staff also fail to follow outlined rules in the discharge of duties. These most times cause a fatal accident.
Ade Ayileka, chief technical officer, IBEDC, appealed to report electrical issues to the nearest IBEDC office instead of engaging local electricians who could expose the whole community to risks due to illegal connection and tampering of the cables.
The facilitator of the event, Kemi Agbakaye, Ampak Nigeria Limited CEO, said the success of any business was to ensure safety in all facets, which would go a long way in making IBEDC achieve the ISO 45001 mandate.
World Day for Health and Safety was initiated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to stem the tide 6,300 people who die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases. More than 2.3 million deaths are recorded yearly.
317 million accidents occur on the job annually; many of these resulting in extended absences from work. The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at 4 per cent of global gross domestic product each year.
