The Bayelsa State Government has accused the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) of ignoring alarms that led to the vandalisation of 16 transmission towers in the state.
The government said the state may not fund the repairs of all of the 253 vandalised transformers.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Bayelsa Electricity Company, Olice Kebmenanabo accused TCN on Thursday during an interview on Arise TV, monitored by NewsNGR.
For four months, oil-rich Bayelsa was plunged into darkness following the activities of vandals. According to Kemenanabo, 16 power towers were destroyed along the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132KV Double Circuit transmission line, plunging parts of Rivers and Bayelsa States into darkness.
Also, 253 transformers where vandalised which worsened the situation.
However, after four months of blackout, the TCN restored bulk power supply through the Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV transmission line.
The MD explained that TCN failed to respond to an early warning sent by some residents regarding an attempt to vandalise the transmission lines.
Kebemenanbo said, “The Transmission Company of Nigeria should be held accountable for whatever happened because these things didn’t happen overnight. They happened and people were giving them reports but refused to respond to these reports by going for maintenance until the tower collapsed on both horizontal and vertical loads.
“So, we didn’t only lose three towers, we lost about 16 towers between Okogbe and Emezi and then three between Ikogene.”
But he said the State is conducting a comprehensive approach in securing both state and federal assets by deploying technical methods to prevent vandals from accessing power towers.
He said the state lost over 253 distribution substations to “vandals within” adding the government will not be held responsible for blackouts in the affected areas.
The MD said, “Those people are going to suffer for their fate because the State government will not be able to spend over N650m to restore those distribution transformers.
“The ones that are healthy, we have energised them. The ones that are unhealthy, we have decided to isolate them. However, the governor that we have is a very compassionate man, so while speaking to him, he said, even if they suffer, they are own people and let us find a strategy to support them in restoring those 253 distribution transformers.
“But in my own personal opinion, they cannot eat their cake and have it back but because the governor has directed, we are in the process of strategizing with the community to ensure that we restore power in those areas as well.”
The MD further disclosed that the government spent over N175m in a bid to support TCN restore power to the transmission lines.
Kebemenanbo disclosed, “In whole, we have spent over N175m to support and intervene on an asset that does not belong to us. We will put it on record and send it to the TCN to note that this is what we have done and therefore, we must have a common ground in trying to ensure that we balance our selves.”