Following the destruction of two transmission towers by vandals, Bayelsa State is now experiencing a blackout.
A recent announcement from the Transmission Company of Nigeria revealed that the incidents occurred on July 29th in the Igbooghene community of Bayelsa State, resulting in the collapse of towers T98 and T99 along the Ahoada/Yenagoa 132kV line.
Talking about the impact, TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah mentioned that the power supply to the state has been severed, affecting critical locations like TCN’s Yenagoa Sub-station and the Gbarain Power Station.
As a consequence, Mbah added, “Yenagoa Metropolis and the entire Bayelsa State are currently without electricity.”
Engineers from TCN, under the leadership of General Manager Transmission for the Port Harcourt Region, Engr. Emmanuel Akpa, accompanied by security personnel from the DSS, visited the site to assess the damage. Plans are in motion to urgently engage a contractor for the reconstruction of the collapsed towers,” Mbah reported.
Furthermore, Mbah brought to light an incident where an individual was apprehended on June 16 for tampering with tower T238 along the Owerri/Ahoada 132kV double circuit transmission line, and another vandalism event on June 10 at the Ahoada Transmission Substation.
“TCN appeals to the public to join the battle against vandalism of power infrastructure across the country. The corporation remains dedicated to collaborating with security agencies and local communities such as the DSS and Civil Defence Corps in combating this menace,” stated Mbah.
“Additionally, we are engaging with relevant stakeholders, including security agencies in Yenagoa, to develop strategies aimed at assisting TCN in addressing this issue within the state.
“It is essential to understand that a nation’s power sector cannot progress efficiently if resources earmarked for infrastructure expansion continue to be diverted to replace vandalized equipment,” concluded the statement.