After about three months of power outage in Bayelsa State, there is excitement over imminent restoration of the state to the National Grid.
It would be recalled that Bayelsa was on July 29 2024 thrown into darkness following the vændalism on several 132 KVA twin circuit transmission towers that feed the State from the National Grid.
Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai said on Friday that much progress had been made to restore power to the state.
The Commissioner said contractors handling the damaged transmission towers at Okogbe axis of the East West road were working round the clock to restore electricity to Bayelsa.
Koku-Obiyai spoke during an on-the-spot assessment of work at Okogbe along the East-West Road in Rivers.
She expressed optimism that power would be restored and called on residents to exercise a little more patience as the government was aware of the pain it had caused to the people of the state.
The commissioner explained that discussions were ongoing between Rivers and Bayelsa states and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to checkmate the activities of vandals to avoid a recurrence.
She also commended the TCN and contractors handling the job for their commitment in ensuring that power is restored to the state at the nearest possible time.
The Trumpet gathered thatTCN management had on Sept 26 assured that they would need additional six weeks to complete repairs on the vandalized transmission line and towers.
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Also Engr. Olice Kemenanabo, General Manager of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited, urged contractors to complete the work within the 6-weeks timeline given to the state government.
In line with the expectations, one of the contractors, Engr. Musa Mustapha disclosed two out of the three towers earlier designated for installation had already been completed.
He expressed hope that the remaining one would be completed within the stipulated timeline.
The prevailing hardship across the country had worsened in Bayelsa as many small businesses like Barbing salon, hair dressing and others who depend on the public power supply to earn a living could no longer make ends meet following the prolonged power outage.
The situation was compounded by the astronomical increase in the prices of fuel and other petroleum products for those who could have switched over to using generators to power their businesses.
