Bayelsa State Government on Monday expressed displeasure over the vandalization of over 250 electricity transformers in Yenagoa.
This was as she said that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is set to restore power to the state in the next 48 hours.
Recall that Bayelsa State has been without electricity for four months now.
The entire state was thrown into in July as vandals destroyed a 132kv double circuit line, which affected over 19 electricity towers, in Ahoada, Rivers State that supply Electricity to the state from the national grid.
The State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, while giving an update on the power situation in a press briefing said the the vandalized power towers are not the property of Bayelsa State Government adding that they belong to the Federal Government.
She disclosed that the state spent its resources to fix it for the benefit of the residents maintaining that the state government will soon inaugurate a task force that will be going around stores, shops and anywhere that vandals are hiding to uncover anybody selling second-hand armoured cables.
She urged community leaders to take the responsibility of protecting the government property in the areas against vandalization.
She said: “We are here again today to update you on the power situation. As we all know, about four months ago, vandals actually destroyed three towers in Bayelsa State, 13 towers between Ahoada -Mbiama.”
“Later another three went down, making all 16 that way, and three in the Bayelsa end, and for the past four months, we have been in darkness in Bayelsa, the towers are not the property of Bayelsa State government.”
“All those towers belong to the Federal Government, and they are the ones that are responsible for maintaining those towers, but because of the situation we found ourselves in, the state government has committed a lot of funds in repairing those towers”
“The update we are bringing is that the power towers have been completed, and we will have power this week. We also observed that out of more than 500 transformers we have, about 253 have been vandalized again, and some armoured cables removed, we have the responsibility of protecting the government property that we benefit from, today, some parts of the state will have light, as soon as we hook up to the light, while some will not have light.”
“The government will soon inaugurate a force to go round shops and anywhere the vandals are hiding, if we see anybody selling second-hand armoured cable, they must be able to tell where they get from.”
Also Speaking, the Managing Director/CEO of Bayelsa State Electricity Company Limited, Engr. Olice Kemenanabo explained that TCN was able to restore power to Ahaoda and is working in Mbiama to connect Bayelsa State.
He said: “As of this morning, we have a challenge on the line between Ahoada and Yenagoa and the TCN officials are patrolling the line. Once that is done, the Yenagoa tier will be energized.
“We have about Seven Feeders going out of the Yenagoa transmission station and a few of them have some challenges, and therefore, all of them may not come up at the same time.”
“If the reports I have were anything to go by, in the next 48 hours, parts of Yenagoa will be on the grid.”
