The darkness that has enveloped the Bayelsa state capital Yenagoa is now 90 days.
Since the alleged vandalisation of the high tension lines by some vandals the state capital Yenagoa and environs has remain in darkness, Niger Delta Herald reports.
Our correspondent who went round town to ascertain how the situation has affected the people, discovered that most businesses has closed.
The increase in the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol is a considerable factor that has escalated the high cost of living in the only homogeneous Ijaw state capital.
Cost of food stuffs in the various markets has reached the roof-tops, so also the cost of transportation within and out of the metropolis.
Speaking to our correspondent a businessman, Mr. Taiwo Tonkuo said he is not funding it easy to cope with the high cost of diesel. “I am not finding it easy my brother with the high cost of diesel.”
“The government should be sincere about this issue of electricity, because many business owners are relocating from the state.”
Our correspondent reports that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had promised to rectify the challenge in six weeks during a visit to the state governor.
It was gathered that the police said they arrested sixteen persons suspected to be the vandals of the high tension towers.
It was also reported that one of the towers fell and killed one of the workers at the site at the Igbogene axis of the state capital.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, Orientation, and Strategy, Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, has said progress is being made to restore power to the state.
Bayelsa was on July 29 thrown into darkness following the vandalism of the 132 KVA twin circuit transmission towers that fed the state.
The commissioner said contractors handling the damaged transmission towers at the Okogbe axis of the East-West road were working round the clock to restore electricity to Bayelsa.
Koku-Obiyai spoke on Friday to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) 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 soon and urged residents to exercise patience as the government is aware of the pain it had caused to the people of the state.
She explained that discussions were on-going between Rivers and Bayelsa states and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), to checkmate the activities of vandals to avoid a reoccurrence.
Koku-Obiyai commended the TCN and contractors for handling the job and for their commitment to ensuring that power is restored to the state at the nearest possible time.
TCN management had on September 26 assured that it would need an additional six weeks to complete repairs on the vandalised transmission line.
Also, the General Manager of the Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited, Mr Olive Kemenanabo, urged contractors to complete the work within the six-week timeline given to the state government.
One of the contractors, Musa Mustapha said two out of the three towers earlier designated for installation had been completed.
He expressed hope that the remaining one would be completed within the stipulated timeline.
The prolonged power outage across Bayelsa had paralysed economic activities amongst micro, small and medium business operators amid the current cost of petrol at N1,300 per litre in the state.
Observers and economic analysts are of the view that if concerted efforts are not made to restore electricity before the end of the year, direct investors may avoid the state in 2025 which would worsen the economic woes of the people.
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