The Bayelsa State Government has condemned the recent destruction of electricity towers as a severe “attack on the social and economic wellbeing of residents” and a deliberate act of sabotage against the state’s investment efforts. Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation, and Strategy, made this statement on Sunday in Yenagoa after an on-the-spot assessment of ongoing repairs to re-erect two out of the three collapsed power towers in the Igbogene area of Yenagoa.
Pathway News reports that Bayelsa has been plunged into darkness following the collapse of two transmission towers, which were attacked by vandals. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed that the towers, T98 and T99, along the Ahoada/Yenagoa 132kV line, were vandalized on July 29 in the Igbooghene community, leading to their collapse and subsequent power outage across the state, including at TCN’s Yenagoa Sub-station and the Gbarain Power Station.
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Koku-Obiyai urged residents to remain vigilant and collaborate with authorities to maintain surveillance on power installations. She noted that the extensive damage to powerlines supplying electricity to the state appears to be a calculated effort to make life difficult for Bayelsa residents. The commissioner called on the public to join the government in condemning these criminal acts.
She commended the TCN for its prompt response to the state government’s calls to restore the collapsed towers and expressed optimism that power would soon be restored, not only in Bayelsa but also in the 13 other towers that collapsed between Okugbe and Mbiama in Rivers State.
Koku-Obiyai also urged political leaders to refrain from turning the situation into a blame game, warning that such behavior could embolden the vandals. She emphasized the need for a united front to address the issue of power infrastructure sabotage and reassured residents that the state would continue working with relevant stakeholders to prevent future occurrences.
Mr. Olice Kemenanabo, Managing Director of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited (BECL), echoed the commissioner’s sentiments, stressing the importance of community involvement in protecting government assets. He lamented the attitude of some residents towards these assets, urging them to take ownership and protect the infrastructure that benefits them.
Kemenanabo revealed that, if not for the additional vandalism of 13 towers between Okogbe and Mbiama, power could have been restored within four weeks. He called on security agencies to intensify efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for the vandalism, which has crippled economic activities in the state.
Despite the challenges, Kemenanabo assured residents that with the activation of emergency protocols by the TCN, power is expected to be restored within five weeks.
