BECL MD condemns TCN towers destruction, says power supply will be restored soon

Olice Kemenanabo, the managing director of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited (BECL), says power supply is expected to be restored soon, following the emergency measures of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

Kemenanabo spoke to NAN on Sunday after inspecting the ongoing work to rebuild two — out of the three — collapsed power towers at the Igbogene area of Yenagoa.

On August 13, the TCN had said Bayelsa state would face a prolonged power outage following the destruction of 13 transmission towers along the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV double circuit transmission line by vandals.

The company said the 13 vandalised towers are located in several communities, including Okobe in Ahoada east, Emezhi 1 and Mbiama in Ahoada west, as well as the Igbogene community in Bayelsa state.

The TCN said it had recently responded to the vandalisation and subsequent collapse of towers T97 to T99 on the same line route on July 29, with work still ongoing to rebuild the destroyed towers.

Speaking on the development, the managing director expressed regrets over the residents’ disregard for government assets.

He said the best way for citizens to secure long-term benefits from amenities in their communities is by taking ownership of and protecting the assets.

Kemenanabo, buttressing his point, said since the residents are the main beneficiaries of the infrastructure, hence it is imperative for them to safeguard the installations.

The BECL boss said power would have been restored within four weeks if the 13 additional towers between Okogbe and Mbiama were not destroyed.

He assured residents that, with the TCN activating emergency measures for tower rehabilitation, power is expected to be restored within five weeks.

Kemenanabo urged security agents in the state to focus on identifying and apprehending the perpetrators and their accomplices who have disrupted economic activities.

‘VANDALISM OF POWER TOWERS A SABOTAGE TO STATE INVESTMENT’ 

Also speaking, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, Bayelsa state commissioner for information, orientation and strategy, said the destruction of the electricity towers is an attack on the social and economic wellbeing of the residents of the state and a sabotage on government’s investment drive.

Koku-Obiyai advised residents to be vigilant and join forces to maintain surveillance on power installations.

She said the recent widespread attack on power lines supplying electricity to the state appears to be a deliberate effort to make life challenging for Bayelsa residents.

The commissioner called on the public to collaborate with the government in condemning the unfortunate criminal attacks on power towers in the state.

She commended the TCN for its prompt response to the Bayelsa government’s request to restore the collapsed towers.

Koku-Obiyai expressed confidence that power will be restored soon, with the swift commencement of repair work on the collapsed towers in Bayelsa and 13 other towers between Okugbe and Mbiama in Rivers.

The information commissioner also urged political figures to refrain from turning the disaster into a blame game, warning that such behaviour could strengthen the vandals.

She said the vandals might gain support if political leaders continue to politicise serious development issues.

“We urge the people of Bayelsa to be patient with the federal government controlled Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN),” Koku-Obiyai said.

“TCN are the owners and operators of the power line, every effort is being made to rehabilitate the damaged power towers to restore supply to the state.”

Koku-Obiyai said the state will keep collaborating with relevant stakeholders to prevent future incidents of deliberate damage to power infrastructure.