The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has warned the Distribution Companies (DisCos) to stop using 33 kilovolts (kV) lines to connect consumers, saying it will soon enforce the policy prohibiting the act.
The Managing Director of NEMSA, Engr Peter Ewesor, made this known during a two-day maiden management retreat for staff of the agency in Kano at the weekend.
Engr Ewesor said the policy reiterated that the 33KV line, which is called a sub-transmission line, “is supposed to carry power from a transmission station to an injection substation where the power voltage is now broken down to 11. Then the 11kv lines will now carry power to 11kv to 415 transformers that feed our houses.”
“So if the 33kv lines are used continuously for a point load just to serve privileged individuals, what then happens is that the larger population, those who are at the downstream, the people who are supposed to use 11-415, will have no power.”
Ewetor, who is also the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF), revealed that the agency had done all it ought to do as pre-action, saying, “We’ve issued a policy and we’ve issued the enforcement directives. What we will do now is to carry out the enforcement to assure compliance.”
Speaking at the opening session of the retreat, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, William Alo, stressed that the theme was apt and should be regarded as a clarion call for all staff of NEMSA to satisfactorily strive at accomplishing the vision, mission and mandate of the agency.
