From David Onuoja, Abuja
Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), yesterday read the riot act to vandals of electricity towers in Nigeria.
The Managing Director/CEO TCN, Engineer Sule Abdullazeez, in conjunction with the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, vowed to ensure vandals of electricity towers in Nigeria face severe punishment to served as deterrent to others.
This is even as TCN promised to restore power to the northern states where vandals few weeks ago, vandalised some of its equipment, which stopped the Transmission from Shiroro in Niger state through Mando in Kaduna state to the north west axis.
Speaking at its headquarters, Maitama, Abuja, during a press briefing on the blackout in some northern States, TCN MD, Engr Abdullazeez, pleaded with the affected states consumers to exercise Patience saying, by Sunday November 3, the power would be restored.
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He said, the cause was due to the problem of Shiroro – Mando 330kv line 1 which tripped off on the 9th September 2024, adding that all efforts to find the faulty section could not be reached due to the insecurity. But however, confirmed that with the help of local vigilante they were able to get a snap of the conductor on a tower but could not identify the tower number.
Engr Abdullazeez equally said, Minimum supply was maintained to the North-West corridor through the second circuit until 13th October, 2024 when the second line tripped and failed to stay on trial reclosure.
The MD explained that he had to call on the support of the Nigeria Air force, Kaduna for unmanned aerial surveillance on 17th October 2024 and the impacted towers which made them to identified about four in number with three totally collapsed and one number twisted.
According to him, “in another related development, vandalism of Ugwuaji – Apir 330kV lines was reported on 21st October, 2024 causing tripping of the lines. Trial reclosure failed and patrol revealed damaged conductors due to vandalism. This compounded the transmission of bulk power to the Northern corridor as these lines serve as link between Northern and Southern area.
“The area affected has been secured with help of Nigerian Army and concerted effort is ongoing on one of the lines for restoration. Restoration of one of these lines will allow TCN to wheel about 400MW of power in that corridor. Also TCN is intensifying efforts to repair and restore the second line on Ugwuaji – Apir on or by Sunday 3rd November, 2024. This will avail TCN to wheel substantial quantum of power through Apir to Jos to Kaduna to Kano”, he said.
Both the minister of power and the TCN MD while answering questions from journalists during the briefing, vowed to ensure the punitive bill at the National Assembly see the light of the day in order to serve as a preventive measure in future occurrence.
TCN appealed to Nigerians to exercise Patience as it is working with NSA for security of personnel and site on Shiroro – Mando 330kV SC lines for commencement of rehabilitation of impacted towers in this axis.
It could be recalled that on the 9th September, 13th October and 17th October, 2024 the national grid collapsed putting the whole country into total darkness.
