By Kamil Opeyemi
Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu has given reasons for the continued blackout across the nation.
His statement came days after Nigerians had experienced poor power supply.
The agony of Nigerians is further compounded by the scarcity of fuel and high cost of petroleum products.
In a statement on Saturday, Adelabu said he is troubled by the worsening crisis in the electricity supply chain sector.
Adelabu attributed the worsening power supply to vandalism in some parts of the country.
For instance, he said a transmission tower in Yobe State was deliberately brought down, causing a ripple effect that led to the collapse of tower T373 along the same transmission line.
“This criminal act, Adelabu stated, “occurred at 21:18 and has disrupted power supply to parts of the North East, affecting Yobe and Borno States.”
Saying that his ministry is developing what he called a “comprehensive plan to enhance the security of power facilities nationwide,” Adelabu said his ministry is working closely with security agencies to investigate the North-East incident.
He said, “While I condemn this deliberate sabotage, I appeal to all Nigerians to stand against such actions. We cannot let a few individuals hinder our efforts in providing regular electricity to the nation. Our Ministry is working closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate this incident thoroughly. Those responsible for this destructive act will face the full force of the law.
“Vandalism not only disrupts power supply but also poses a threat to the safety and well-being of our communities. In addition to immediate actions, we are mobilizing resources to quickly reconstruct the damaged towers. Restoring power supply to Yobe and Borno States is our priority. The incident involved the deliberate use of explosives on the 330kV transmission tower.”
Adelabu said villagers confirmed hearing a loud explosion before the towers came down adding that this act of vandalism not only caused inconvenience but also raised concerns about the safety of our power infrastructure.
“We are taking this matter seriously and are committed to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions. TCN has swiftly mobilized a contractor to the site to commence the reconstruction of the damaged transmission towers. Our goal is not only to restore power supply to the affected areas but also to send a strong message that such acts of sabotage will not go unpunished. We are developing a comprehensive plan to enhance the security of power facilities nationwide and working on legislation to tackle the menace of vandalism.”