The management of Transpower Electricity Distribution Limited (TEDL) has raised the alarm over what it described as the indiscriminate destruction of its electricity infrastructure by contractors allegedly engaged by the Imo State Government, warning that the action has plunged several communities into darkness.
The company said the development has left several communities in darkness as Low Tension (LT) and High Tension (HT) poles were broken and transformers damaged.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Group Head, Corporate Communications of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC), Mr. Emeka Ezeh. Transpower is a subsidiary of EEDC, licensed by the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC) to distribute electricity within the state.
According to Ezeh, the destruction of facilities by government contractors was done without prior notice or consultation, a move he said disrupted power supply and endangered safety.
“We are not against the state government carrying out developmental projects, but we are concerned with the continued destruction of our facilities without recourse to the company,” he stated.
He further alleged that the state government has continued to construct and extend distribution lines in an “uncoordinated manner” without adherence to safety standards.
Citing specific incidents, Ezeh said that August, six High Tension poles behind Orlu Hotel, which supplied electricity to Mgbee, Ogboko, Omuma Isiaku, and Ugbelle communities, were destroyed by excavator operators reclaiming land for the state government.
The destruction, he said, resulted in the tripping of the Orlu 33kv line on earth fault, plunging the communities into blackout.
The matter, according to the company, was reported to the Chairman of Orlu Local Government Area, who confirmed it was a state government project and promised to contact the operators.
However, TEDL claimed that its efforts to lodge a formal complaint at the Orlu Police Station were frustrated when the Divisional Police Officer allegedly refused to record the case or arrest the excavator operators.
“The DPO told us that he cannot use his office to fight the state government and instead advised us to dialogue with the state government to resolve the matter,” the statement said.
Transpower also recalled that in the early hours of May 14, 2025, its Orlu District Office was demolished with an excavator reportedly sent by the state government, leading to the destruction of its property and equipment.
Expressing concern, the management warned that the repeated incidents appeared to be “orchestrated plans” to frustrate its operations, which were already crippling electricity distribution in the state.
The company therefore appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma to intervene and halt the destruction.
“As a critical stakeholder that shares in the developmental vision of the government of Imo State, we are committed to supporting it to actualize its goals, but we must be carried along in the plan so that it would be seamless,” Ezeh added.
