Power chief decries lack of TCN’s work centre in Uyo

The Managing Director of Ibom Power Company, Dr. Victor Udo, has decried the absence of a transmission work centre in Akwa Ibom State.

Speaking with reporters, Udo said it was not good that each time there were faults, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) deploys workers from the work centre at Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

Udo said: “When faults occur along transmission lines, TCN deploys workers from the work centre at Calabar.

“The implication is that faults that ought to be resolved within a short time take longer to resolve because of the logistics in transporting TCN workers from Calabar to Uyo”.

“We have four 132kV transmission substations in Akwa Ibom State at Ikot Abasi, Eket, Itu and Uyo while two 330kV transmission substations are in advanced stages of completion. Therefore, a transmission work centre ought to be established in Akwa Ibom State.”

He added that “some other places that have only one or two transmission substations have at least one TCN work centre while we have four transmission substations with no work centre in the state.

‘’The issue has been discussed with chief executives of Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and TCN. We will continue to push until TCN establishes a work centre in Akwa Ibom State.”

Udo said the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) failed to instal sufficient injection substations.

“We need at least two more injection substations in Uyo due to the population increase. The 11KV substation installed 10 years ago is no longer sufficient to meet the demands of the people.

“It is not the responsibility of government to provide injection substations although government has intervened to instal transformers in communities across the state,” he said.

Udo said providing this substations would amount to government providing mobile phone services or building masts for telecommunication companies after privatisation.

He urged the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) to “improve operational efficiency to sustain the steady power supply”.

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