By SEBASTINE OBASI

Owners of illegal structures along the right of way of power transmission lines have been warned of an impending demolition. Mr. James Olotu, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), owners of National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), gave the warning recently in an interview with newsmen. Olotu, who commissioned the 600 MVA injection sub-station at Oke-Aro, Ogun State, was speaking against the backdrop of some illegal structures erected along the right of way of the project.

The NDPHC boss said that it is wrong to build or do business on government right of way or under the high tension power transmission tower at various locations in the country. He pointed out that some residents are erecting some illegal structures along the right of way in Oke-Aro area of Ogun State. He said that it has been observed that some people were in habit of doing that, urging them to desist as he said that government will not hesitate to demolish such buildings.

According to him, “the ongoing project at Oke-Aro injection sub-station is the biggest transmission project that the three tiers of government financed it adequately. Adding that where the six transmission cable lines will pass through to the Nigerians has been acquired illegally.

“The high tension line will be moving in the direction of the house you built, you would have obtained right of way on the power line.“Prior to now, we actually went to inform them to desist before it’s too late,” he said.

Olotu said that it’s not advisable to build under the tower, while urging them to stop building and seek government and land owners consent first.

“We are not going to pay compensation to anybody who builds on our right of way that has been acquired before your illegal building.” He said.

He said that both PHCN Transmission Company of Nigeria and NDPHC has started local publicity to sensitize the indigenes of the area of the danger involved in doing business and building structures close to the high tension power transmission tower.

The company said it has also employed the services of security agencies in the state to prosecute any offender caught doing business around tension cables.

In his words, “Those who are perpetuating this act don’t realise the gravity of what they are doing to the communities and the country at large. We need to urgently stop them to avoid total breakdown of the towers.

According to Olotu, “We cannot afford to allow a few people to jeopardise our collective interest in moving the country and power sector forward.