The South East Electricity Consumers Association (SEECA) has urged residents across the South-East to stay away from fallen electricity poles, damaged power lines and exposed cables, particularly during rainfall and flooding, to prevent electrocution and other life-threatening accidents.
The association also commended MainPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited for its prompt response to electricity faults, especially the restoration of power after a vehicular accident damaged electricity poles in New Haven, Enugu.
SEECA Coordinator, Dr. Sebastine Chukwuebuka Okafor, gave the warning while speaking with journalists in Enugu on Monday, stressing that residents must exercise caution during rainfall, flooding, erosion and windstorms, when electrical infrastructure could be damaged.
“Residents should avoid approaching fallen electricity poles and cables, especially during rainfall and flooding, because such installations may still be live and could cause electrocution. Safety must be everyone’s priority,” Okafor warned.
He cautioned residents against attempting to repair fallen poles, damaged power lines or electrical installations themselves, insisting that such interventions should be handled only by qualified personnel from the relevant electricity distribution companies.
The SEECA coordinator stressed that protecting human life must take precedence over property and the inconvenience caused by prolonged power outages.
Okafor also expressed concern over the destruction of electricity infrastructure by haulage vehicles, warning that careless driving could disrupt power supply, damage property and expose members of the public to electrocution.
“Drivers of heavy-duty vehicles must understand that destroying electricity poles can disrupt power supply, endanger lives, damage property and expose people to electrocution. We appeal to them to drive responsibly and protect public infrastructure,” he said.
He called on relevant authorities to ensure that drivers responsible for damaging electricity infrastructure are held accountable, while urging haulage operators to exercise greater caution on the roads, particularly during adverse weather conditions.
Commending MainPower for its response to the New Haven incident, Okafor urged electricity distribution companies to sustain prompt interventions, conduct regular inspections and replace weakened poles to reduce the risk of avoidable accidents.
“We appreciate MainPower for its prompt intervention and restoration of electricity following the New Haven incident. We encourage electricity distribution companies to sustain this response, strengthen routine inspections and replace weakened poles to prevent avoidable accidents,” he said.
The association further urged residents to report fallen or leaning poles, exposed wires, damaged electrical installations and fallen cables immediately to the appropriate electricity distribution companies.
Okafor warned that failure to report such hazards could expose unsuspecting residents to potentially fatal accidents, adding that the absence of electricity supply does not necessarily mean a fallen cable is safe.
“Whenever residents notice a fallen pole, exposed wire, damaged installation or any other electricity-related hazard, they should immediately report it to the relevant electricity distribution company and keep a safe distance from the affected area. Never assume that a cable is safe simply because there is no electricity supply. Prompt reporting can help prevent avoidable deaths and enable qualified personnel to respond quickly,” he said.
He reiterated that members of the public must never touch, move, reconnect or attempt to repair damaged electricity infrastructure, even when power has been interrupted, because the installations may still be live.
The SEECA coordinator also called on political, religious and community leaders, residents’ associations and other stakeholders to intensify public awareness campaigns on electricity safety and encourage the prompt reporting of hazards.
He maintained that keeping a safe distance from damaged electrical infrastructure and leaving emergency interventions to qualified personnel remained essential to preventing avoidable deaths and injuries.
