There was pandemonium as a staff of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, Josia Jim, has died after being electrocuted while on duty.
Jim died when the power supply was restored without his notice while fixing a faulty feeder within Garki District.
Kunle Olubiyo of the Nigerian Consumer Protection Network disclosed the incident on Monday stressing that the deceased had lost his wife about two years ago.
He blamed the incident on lack of proper coordination between AEDC and the Nigerian Transmission Company.
According to him, gadgets were supposed to be available to ease communication among technical staff to avert electrical incidents.
Olubiyo called for proper adherence to global best practice safety rules to avert such incidents.
“Transmission Company of Nigeria and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company are also expected to be synchronised and on the same page at all times, particularly when there is an outage that involves 33KV Feeders.
“The management of the DisCos should avert this ugly trend. About 15 needless deaths occurred due to non-adherence to operational procedures.
“Years ago, we had a similar electrical accident in Ilorin. A staff member of Ibadan was working on replacing faulty breakers within the Saw Mill/Geri Alimi Area of Ilorin. Outages were taken quite alright, while the faults clearing and change of breakers was still on, and the power supply was restored.
“And the staff was not only electrocuted but died with agonising burns whose pictures were horrifying,” he stated.
