Bayelsa Govt pleads with Bayelsans as blackout lingers

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The Bayelsa State Government has appealed for calm as the general blackout in the state capital, Yenagoa enters the second week.

The state government disclosed that the recent power outage in the state is as a result of a disagreement between the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) and Ahoada Youth.

According to it, this resulted in the switching off of the Ahoada Transmission Substation and cut in power supply to Bayelsa State.

The State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ayibaina Duba who stated this in a statement in a Friday disclosed that a team comprising the State Ministry of Power, Bayelsa Electricity Company Limited in collaboration with the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company is already engaging the officials of the substation to ensure the restoration of power supply to the State.

Duba also noted that the team is working on appropriate measures to prevent future occurrence of the incident.

While appealing for the understanding of the public and power consumers in the state as all efforts are being explored to restore power supply, Hon Duba alerted the public that there have been pockets of vandalisation of electrical installations by some unscrupulous elements in the state and called on communities to be vigilant and report any act of sabotage of power facilities in their environment.