Rep Advocates Security Agencies, Community Collaboration To Protect Power Assets

The member representing Ika East/South federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Victor Nwokolo, has called for partnership between the people in communities and security agencies to safeguard power infrastructure and keep vandals at bay.

The Chairman, House Committee on Power made the call on Wednesday during his working visit to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Power Plant in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

“It’s not everything that government can do for us. To the vandals, they should give attention to state-owned infrastructure. It’s only in Nigeria that someone will see a tower and still go and vandalised it.

“Every Nigerian, high and low must rise up to the occasion and give protection to the infrastructure. We should not sit, fold our arms and watch someone cut off the cables without confronting the fellow and expect to have electricity.
“That is why you see Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) always complaining almost every day of suffering one thing or the other – a situation that leads to power failure,” the lawmaker lamented.

Nwokolo stressed that government does not have adequate security manpower to secure electricity or state owned infrastructures, calling on all in the communities to join hands with the government to safeguard electricity infrastructure.

“How many policemen are you going to draft to watch on power lines? So what we are saying is that government will have to do what they ought to,” Nwokolo stated.

He further advocated the formation of vigilante groups by people in the communities to protect electricity and other infrastructures in their various neighborhoods.

“You and I must do our bid as good citizens to ensure that state-owned infrastructures are given adequate protection,” he maintained.