By Mokwugwo Ogochukwu
The Management of FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited has on Sept. 14 intensified its public safety awareness campaign across communities in Anambra State, cautioning traders, transport operators and residents against conducting commercial and other activities under or dangerously close to electricity power lines.
The latest phase of the campaign covered Oyi and Anambra East Local Government Areas, as well as adjoining communities in Dunukofia Local Government Area.
Led by the Head of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) of FirstPower, Engr. Tosin Caleb Fadairo, the sensitisation team visited Ezinkeje, Nteje, Otuocha, Aguleri, Umunya, Awkuzu, Ezinkwo, Ukwulu Ore and Nawgu, as well as major routes and busy activity points along Ukpo–Ukwulu Road, Ifite–Ukpo Road, Ifitedunu–Otuocha Road, Otoko Road and parts of Nteje.
The exercise focused on markets, roadside trading points, transport loading areas and other locations where commercial and transport activities take place within or close to electricity line corridors. During the campaign, FirstPower officials engaged traders, customers, motorcycle riders, tricycle operators, roadside vendors, pedestrians and other members of the public, educating them on the dangers associated with activities carried out too close to electricity infrastructure.
The company warned against erecting stalls, kiosks, canopies, shops and other temporary structures beneath or close to overhead power lines. It also cautioned residents against extending umbrellas, banners, poles, metal rods and other long objects towards electricity conductors, noting that they could come into contact with live wires or create a dangerous electrical path even without direct contact.
Tricycle, popularly known as keke, operators and other transport workers were particularly advised against loading or offloading passengers and goods directly under power lines, especially where passengers, goods, metallic vehicle components or other long objects could come dangerously close to the conductors.
FirstPower also cautioned the public against using metal ladders around electricity installations, stressing that metal conducts electricity and could expose users to electric shock, severe burns, electrocution and death when brought near energised power lines.
The sensitisation exercise included the distribution of safety awareness materials, including flyers, to traders, commuters and residents.
The company further reminded the public that electricity installations should only be handled by qualified personnel. Residents were advised against attempting repairs, moving electrical equipment, interfering with poles and lines or engaging in activities that could compromise the safety of the electricity network.
FirstPower also urged residents to exercise greater caution during rainfall and flooding, when damaged electrical installations, fallen lines and electrically energised surfaces could pose serious risks. Members of the public were advised to stay away from fallen or damaged power lines and report such incidents immediately to the company rather than attempting to handle them.
Speaking during the campaign, Fadairo said the exercise was part of FirstPower’s continuing commitment to protecting lives and promoting safe interaction with electricity. He said the objective was not only to educate the public but also to prevent avoidable accidents, particularly in communities where electricity infrastructure and human activities exist in close proximity.
Fadairo stressed that electricity safety was a shared responsibility, urging communities, traders, transport operators, property owners and other stakeholders to contribute to the prevention of accidents and promote a stronger safety culture. FirstPower also appealed to community leaders, market associations, transport unions, landlords, residents and business owners to discourage activities within power line corridors and report dangerous situations around electricity installations.
The company advised members of the public to always treat power lines as energised and dangerous, regardless of whether they appear to be carrying electricity at a particular time. FirstPower said it would continue taking its safety campaign to more communities, markets, schools, churches, roadsides and other high-activity locations across Anambra State. It urged residents to cooperate with its safety personnel and comply with warnings concerning violations of electricity power line right-of-way, stressing that no trading space, transport loading point, canopy, construction activity or commercial gain was worth putting human life at risk.
Mokwugwo Ogochukwu is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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