By Ambrose Ologide
There is panic in Okolobe Street, Off Okere/Ugborikoko Road in Okumagba Layout, Warri, Delta State over fallen high tension electricity cables and pole.
It was gathered that the high tension electricity cables and pole were fell by a heavy-duty vehicle that brought interlocking tiles meant for the ongoing Delta State Government road rehabilitation project in the street on Wednesday, August 31, 2022,
It was further gathered that there was a power outage when the incident occurred.
However, sensing danger in the event of restoration of power, some concerned residents were said to have contacted a field engineer of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, (name withheld) to disconnect the high tension cables from the electricity transformer feeding the area with power.
The immediate past President of Okere Urhobo Development Movement, Comrade Cyril Eboh, who spoke to newsmen on the issue, alleged that the said BEDC engineer demanded twenty-five thousand naira before he will disconnect the high tension cables from the electrical transformer.
According to him, the BEDC engineer also allegedly rejected an offer of fifteen thousand naira to do the life-saving job.
“He boasted that not even the Business Manager (BM ) of BEDC Warri District can force him to accept less than twenty-five thousand for the job,” Eboh added.
The said BEDC engineer had left when newsmen arrived at the scene of the incident.
Efforts to reach the BM of the Warri District of BEDC for comment were unsuccessful.
The fallen high tension electricity cables and pole lay menacingly on the said street at the time of filing this report.
