The Lagos State Government intends to address the actions of electricity distribution companies that conduct haphazard excavation for their installations without obtaining the necessary approvals from the appropriate agencies.
During a conversation with journalists at his office in Ikeja on Wednesday, Oyekanmi Elegushi, the Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency, revealed this information.
He suggested that the anticipated crackdown by the state government was prompted by multiple reports indicating that some DisCos were setting up their equipment throughout the state without obtaining the required permits.
Elegushi said, “What we are doing now is that we are clamping down seriously on illegal digging, and a stakeholders’ meeting will happen sometime this year. We are a no-nonsense regime where things are done properly and where lawlessness will become a thing of the past. What belongs to the government will be given to it and will not be going into private individual accounts, especially some of these DisCos.
“The Federal Government has implemented a name-and-shame policy. We will start naming and shaming companies that are involved in this sort of attitude. Lawlessness and illegal digging without seeking appropriate permits before starting the project will no longer be condoned. What we want at the end of the day is a conducive environment for all businesses to thrive and then for the government to get what it is due to it.”
