By Caleb Tamunosaki
Electricity supply to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital, Yenagoa, and its environs has been thrown into darkness by the activities of vandals who attacked critical power facilities along Ammasoma Road.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Power, Ebitei Tonyon, said that the hoodlums vandalized two electric towers along the Tombia-Amassoma Road which supply several parts of the city.
Tonyon stressed that the hoodlums pulled down the towers after removing their bolts at the base.
He said the vandalised infrastructure carried two power feeders which supply electricity to the affected areas from the state’s transmission centre.
According to him areas such as Igbogene, Edepie, Akenfa, Okutukutu, Opolo-Epie, Biogbolo-Epie, Obogoro, Amarata and Swali, among others are affected by the blackout.
He said, “Why we are experiencing this blackout this recent time is that I got a call last Monday that two towers have been pulled down in Tombia-Amassoma Road.
“So, I immediately went for an inspection with my team and Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company staff.
“We discovered that two heavy towers have been pulled down; they loosed the bolts gradually, not only one day, until the towers fell down.
“Now the two towers that fell are the ones that take light from Ahoada to our transmission station. So feeder one and feeder two are totally down on the ground.
“So the whole of Imiringi Road, Tombia-Amassoma Road down to Igbogene; from Edepie down to Igbogene and parts of Etegwe-Edepie roundabout to Isaac Boro Expressway, down to Swali and Obogoro, and some areas like Amarata, Biogbolo-Epie are not going to have electricity until the two towers are replaced.”
The commissioner, who said that the blackout rocking the city might last three months said that the ministry of Power was coordinating with PHED officials to fix the problem.
