By Onome Oghenetega
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has indicated that power supply to Delta and its neighbouring states could be in its poorest form after its facilities in the Sapel and Oghara area were vandalised by unknown hoodlums.
It said the development could lead to acute power supply particularly in Delta State were the facilities are situated in the four weeks.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, said following collapsed of tower Number 61 on Delta-Benin line, TCN is only now evacuating power through Delta — Sapele-Benin 330KV transmission line.
She said it would take the company another four weeks before vandalised towers would be put in order.
The statement explained that it was because of the vandalism that power supply had been poor in the last few days in Delta State.
According to her, although the collapsed tower had not affected power evacuation, transmission lines redundancy had been affected until the second line would be restored.
“TCN hereby states that six power transmission towers along the Delta — Benin and Delta — Sapele — Benin 330kV transmission line routes have been vandalised and some of their tower members removed. This, coupled with the heavy rainfall of March 17th caused the collapse of tower Number 61 alone.
“As soon as the transmission line tripped, a lines’ patrol team was dispatched to investigate the cause and investigations revealed that tower Number 61 had collapsed and aluminium conductors from the tower were on the ground.
“The patrol team also discovered that tower members of five other towers including the tower directly opposite tower 61 on the Ughelli — Benin line route were missing”, Mbah said.
The statement added that the Delta-Benin and Delta-Sapele-Benin 330kV transmission lines evacuated power from Transcorp Power Limited, Ughelli into the national grid, noting that TCN had been facing the challenge of repeated attacks by vandals on this axis since December 2018.
She lamented that repair works would cost TCN millions of naira to rebuild the collapsed tower and effect repairs on other towers with fund that would have been ploughed into its grid expansion programme.
The company revealed that it had also made a formal report to security operatives and to traditional rulers in the area, including the Orodje (King) of Okpe Kingdom and the Ovie of Oghara, who had held meetings with their subjects to address the menace but to no avail.
