Bayelsa in darkness as vandals attack TCN towers

Bayelsa State has been thrown into darkness following the collapse of two transmission towers attacked by vandals.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria stated on Thursday that the two transmission towers, T98 and T99 along the Ahoada/Yenagoa 132kV line, were vandalised on July 29, in the Igbooghene community of Bayelsa State

A statement by the TCN spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, on Thursday disclosed that the incident caused the collapse of both towers, cutting off the power supply to the state, including TCN’s Yenagoa Sub-station and the Gbarain Power Station.

“Presently, Yenagoa Metropolis and the entire Bayelsa State are still without power supply.”

“Our engineers, led by the General Manager Transmission, Port Harcourt Region, Engr. Emmanuel Akpa, accompanied by men from the DSS inspected the site of the vandalised towers. Plans are already ongoing to mobilise a contractor on an emergency basis to reconstruct the collapsed towers,” Mbah stated.

Mbah disclosed that an individual was caught on June 16 vandalising tower T238 along the Owerri/Ahoada 132kV double circuit transmission line, while another act of vandalism occurred on June 10 at the Ahoada Transmission Substation.

“TCN is urging the public to help in the ongoing fight against the vandalism of power infrastructure nationwide. The company will continue to collaborate with security operatives and host communities including the DSS and Civil Defence Corps to combat the menace.

“Meanwhile, we are interfacing with stakeholders including security operatives in Yenagoa to put in place other initiatives geared towards helping TCN curtail the menace within the state.

“As we continue to work towards a robust grid, it is pertinent to note that a nation’s power sector cannot grow efficiently if funds intended for infrastructural expansion are repeatedly used to replace vandalised equipment,” the statement concluded.