Imo State Government has revealed that it foiled an attempt by some Indian contractors to cannibalize and cart away transformers meant for boosting power in the state.
Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma, Oguwike Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement, stating that the contractors claimed to have the approval of the management of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to remove transformers meant for electricity projects in Imo State.
“Governor Uzodimma got intelligence report that some Indian contractors, in collaboration with others, went to the Egbu Transmission claiming to have the approval of the NDPHC to dismantle the 2×150mva and 2×60mva transformers meant for the ongoing Transmission Project Yard in Egbu and move them to Lagos,” the statement reads.
It explained that it was believed in some quarters that the contractors, that included Indians, must have come with the intention to steal the facilities, but only dropped NDPHC management’s name to get away with their ploy.
“On further interrogation, it was also discovered that they had no documentation to their claim, a situation that further raised doubts on their intentions,” the statement added.
According to him, this news of their plan leaked, as the contractors contacted some youth, asking for assistance in moving the equipment with the promise of some tips.
While stating that the attempt looked like sabotage, the governor stressed that serious actions will be taken, based on results from further interrogations made by security agencies.
