TheCable

It is a life of perpetual fear for residents of Bishop Kale Street, off Akinsemoyin road, Surulere, Lagos, where an electric pole armed with high tension cables is dangling over their heads, capable of falling off any time.

A visit by TheCable revealed that the residents had been lodging complaints regarding the death trap, with no respite in sight.

In August 2015, a similar pole caused the death of a first-class student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG). Oluchi Anekwe, the 300-level student of the department of accounting, made contact with a naked wire that fell from the electric pole inside the premises of the man campus.

Oguns Johnson, chairman of the community, said the pole was the greatest fear of the people in the community, lamenting that the authorities didn’t care.

“The electric pole has been there for more than 30 years, because the estate was built in 1972 and in 1973 it was used for the Olympics game; the people who came for sporting activities that year were lodged here,” he said.

“We have informed PHCN that there is a pole that is about to fall. There was a time I met with the controller of the federal ministry of environment thinking that this will spur action.

“They only came to look at it, they didn’t do anything about it. This is a high-tension cable, not just service cable. Service cable itself is dangerous, much less high-tension cable.”

Residents are afraid that the pole could collapse any time, electrocuting its victims

While awaiting PHCN action, the chairman met with residents, urging them to be vigilant when passing through the area.

“I have told my children and the community members that they have to be very vigilant any time they are passing there. What do we do? They come here every day to check cables, they see it, they keep coming every day without bothering to do it,” he added.

“I have made complaint to the nearest PHCN office that is in charge of the pole at Masha road; nothing was done.”

Other residents who also spoke with TheCable said the PHCN personnel do visit the area, but they refuse to examine the pole out.

“I don’t know when the pole was installed, I met it here. There is a lot of loads on the pole, and the most painful part of it is that PHCN staff do come here every day and they see that it is a high-tension pole,” one resident said.

“I have lived here for the past 15 years and I met the pole here. PHCN staff come here every day,; in fact, they were still here yesterday. They should please do something about it; they shouldn’t wait until it kills someone.”

When TheCable visited the PHCN office at Masha, which is in charge of the pole, an official promised that the pole would be assessed and reinstalled.

“We are going to send our boys there to check it out, and it will be done,” he said.