The Bayelsa state Commissioner for Information, Orientation, and Strategy, Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, has reassured residents of the state of its commitment to ensure that electricity power supply is fully restored to the state.
She stated that plans by the government led by Governor Douye Diri, are fully on ground and in progress to restore power outage to the state.
On July 29, 2024, Bayelsa state was thrown into a pool of darkness following a vandalism incident that destroyed a 132 KVA twin circuit transmission towers that is responsible for powering up the state.
While speaking, the commissioner mentioned that contractors handling the damaged transmission towers at the Okogbe axis of the East-West road are working round the clock to ensure the full restoration of electricity to state.
Commissioner Koku-Obiyai mentioned this today, Friday, October 25th,2024, while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during an on-the-spot assessment of work at Okogbe along the East-West Road in Rivers.
She expressed confidence that power would be restored soon and urged residents of the state to exercise another level of patience as the government was aware of the pain it had caused to the people of the state.
The commissioner added that discussions are currently ongoing between Rivers and Bayelsa states and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to checkmate the activities of vandals to avoid a reoccurrence.
She also commended the TCN and contractors for handling the job with uttermost professionalism and for their commitment to ensuring that power was restored to the state at the nearest possible time.
The TCN management had on September 26 assured that it would need an additional six weeks to complete repairs on the vandalized transmission line in the state.
On his part, the General Manager of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited, Mr Olive Kemenanabo, urged contractors to complete the work within the six-week timeline given to them by the state government.
While speaking, one of the contractors, Musa Mustapha said two out of the three towers earlier designated for installation had been completed, while also expressing hope that the remaining one would be completed within the stipulated deadline.
The current prolonged power outage across Bayelsa state had paralyzed economic activities amongst micro, small and medium business operators amid the current cost of petrol at N1,300 per litre in the state.
