Bayelsa outage: TCN promises to restore power in six weeks

Bayelsa outage: TCN promises to restore power in six weeks

…as govt seeks extension of transmission network to more communities

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has promised to complete the reconstruction of its collapsed transmission towers along the Mbiama-Ahoada axis of Rivers State and restore power supply to Bayelsa in six weeks from now.

The Director General of the Transmission Service Provider (TSP), a subsidiary of the TCN, Engineer Olugbenga Ajiboye, gave the assurance yesterday when he led a high-powered technical team on a courtesy visit to the state Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, in Government House, Yenagoa.

Ajiboye, who on behalf of the TCN, apologised to the people and government of Bayelsa for the prolonged power outage and its attendant economic cost, however, pleaded for the assistance of the state government to restore power in Bayelsa.

He explained that the blackout had been occasioned by the damage to the TCN power transmission line connecting Bayelsa, noting that about 18 transmission towers were vandalised.

He said: “We are here to plead with the people of Bayelsa State for the outage of power. We are here to also plead for the state’s assistance to restore power to Bayelsa.

“We came to look at what is on the ground, and from what we have seen, it would take at least six weeks to reconstruct the collapsed towers and restore power to the state.”

Ajiboye lamented that only this year alone, no fewer than 120 TCN transmission facilities had been vandalised nationwide, and appealed to the state government to provide security for the safeguard of its facilities.

In his response, the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, emphasised that the problem of public power supply had become a major issue in the state in recent times.

Ewhrudjakpo expressed concern that although only about 30 per cent of Bayelsa is currently covered by the National Grid, the state had never enjoyed stable power supply even before the present damage of TCN assets caused by vandals occurred.

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He urged the federal agency to expedite its reconstruction work, noting that while TCN was losing revenue from the protracted absence of power supply to Bayelsa, the State Government on the other hand was losing what he called political capital and goodwill.

The Deputy Governor, who expressed government’s readiness to collaborate with the TCN to restore power supply, called on the transmission company to extend its transmission network to more communities in the state.

On the request by the TCN for the Bayelsa State Government to provide security support for its facilities, Ewhrudjakpo promised that the Bayelsa State government would liaise with its Rivers counterpart to secure the transmission line.

He stated: “The issue of power supply has become a major issue in Bayelsa State in recent times, because the people are calling on the state government.

“Bayelsa has never had good power supply despite the fact that only about 30 per cent of the state is connected to the National Grid. We want you to extend the transmission lines to other parts of the state.

“We want the TCN to change its relationship with the Bayelsa State Government. For us, we are ready to have a higher collaboration with your people on the ground here to discuss and resolve issues at all times. 

“Yes, you are losing revenue but we are also losing political goodwill and capital. The question is: Why is this sabotage rampant along the transmission line between Ahoada and Mbiama? 

“There must be a strong collaboration between us and the Rivers State Government to ensure these facilities are protected and secured.”

The head of the TCN delegation was accompanied on the courtesy visit by the General Manager, Transmission Services, Corporate Headquarters, Abuja, Engr Sherifai Ali and the General Manager of Transmission, Port Harcourt Region, Engr Emmanuel Akpa, among other senior officials.