By Kingston Obung
Calabar
Enraged electricity consumers and residents of Calabar metropolis are calling for the neck of the management of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) over frequent cutting and ferocious snarling of high tension cables on residential buildings in the ancient city.
Residents of Barracks Road, Bogobiri, a Hausa/Fulani community and Otop Abasi areas, who spoke to our reporter, argued that no fewer 14 persons had lost their lives between April and October this year alone.
According to them, nine persons died last April when a faulty high-voltage cable cut and fell directly on a viewing centre at Nyahasang community in Calabar where football fans were watching Manchester United and Anderlecht UEFA Europa League quarter-final match.
A Bureau de Change operator, whose name was given as Ibrahim, was also electrocuted same period when the football fans lost their lives. They added that two street urchins, Victor Asuquo, 15, and another unidentified counterpart were electrocuted close to the popular Suya arcade in Calabar two months ago.
The also recalled last Monday’s electrocution of a student of the Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH), whose name was given as Daniel Asuquo and another lady, said to be a nursing mother, at Adak Uko Street, off Mbukpa Road in Calabar South.
But speaking, a resident, who gave his name as Romanus Ikpeme, said: “it is time we carried placards and express our displeasure about this ugly trend. We need to take our grievances to the PHEDC, because most of the wires are old. Look at the transformer at the junction of Barracks Road and Otop Abasi, the one that caused the death of Ibrahim. The installation there is really dangerous because it is old. PHEDC must do something to check it; we have started mobilizing residents to protest obsolete installations. We are tired of seeing our people die.
“As a matter of urgency, government must upgrade our electrification system to something better and more efficient, the high tension cables are substandard and vulnerable, and fail once there is a power surge.”
