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Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Federal Government is collaborating with state governments to make it a criminal offence to build under the right of way (high tension wire).
Speaking during the third quarter press briefing in Abuja, the Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mohammed Gu, said that very soon the collaboration with state government to criminalise those building under the right of way would be made manifest.
“All over the country, we are getting encroachment. People encroaching on the right of way are exposing themselves to danger. People who are building under the right of way don’t know the danger that they are exposed to. So, we will continue to warn people not to build under the right of way. The right of way is a dangerous place for anybody to live. We are working with some state governments to criminalise people building under right of way. Very soon you are going to see the result of what we are doing with the state governments to criminalise those building under right of way,” he said.
On the plan to connect Akwanga to Lafia in Nasarawa State, the chief executive of TCN, said that the initial plan was to use a 150 KV line from Akwanga to Lafia but now a 330KV line is being built in Lafia and the project would soon be completed.
“The initial plan in TCN is 150 KV line from Akwanga to Lafia so that we supply Lafia. But the new method has changed. A 330 KV line is being built in Lafia.
And while they complete that line, we are going to synchronise the line to our grid and supply Lafia. Work has reached advanced stage. It is about 90 per cent completed. And once that line is completed, Lafia will have uninterrupted power supply at 330 KV power supply station”, he explained. About connecting the whole West African countries to the national grid, Mohammed gave assurance that by the middle of next year, about four countries of Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia would be connected.
“We are not even looking at synchronising the grid in Nigeria. We are also connected to the West African power grid. Nine countries out of 14 countries in West Africa are connected to each other. By the middle of next year, we are going to complete the Cote D’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea line. The Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bissau are going to be completed. By the time we complete them all the 14 countries in West Africa will be synchronised in grid.
Anything that happens in Nigeria will affect those other countries. That is why we are working to provide frequency stability consistent with the standard so that when we synchonise we will not be receiving penalty” he said.
