Total power blackout worries Gombe residents

Residents in Gombe State in the North West Nigeria have lamented the total black out caused by four 330kv towers which were vandalized by the wind.

On Tuesday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria had announced that four towers along the Jos-Gombe 330kV transmission line had been vandalised at about 3:32 p.m. on April 22.

In a statement which was issued by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, the TCN disclosed that when the 330kV transmission line tripped, its operators attempted to restore it to service but it tripped again, prompting the dispatch of its lines men to trace the line in order to detect and rectify the fault.

While fault tracing, the TCN’s engineering crew was said to have discovered that towers 288, 289, 290, and 291 were vandalised and that some tower members were carted away. Also, the towers had equally collapsed as a result of the incident.

“Presently, bulk power supply to Gombe, Yola, and Jalingo Substations have been disrupted, affecting the bulk power supply to parts of Yola and Jos Electricity Distribution Companies’ franchise areas.

“To mitigate the effect of the incident on electricity consumers affected by the incident, the TCN is trying to first backfeed Gombe through its 132kV transmission line from Bauchi and also Ashaka, Potiskum, Damaturu, and Billiri/ Savannah.

“We will do everything possible to ensure that supply is restored to the affected areas, while efforts are made to reconstruct the four vandalised towers.”

Lamenting the situation, a Gombe resident, Sharon Habu, said, “Currently, we can’t find where to charge our electronic gadgets. We now have to patronise those charging for a living just to keep life going. Life has become harder without the usual hours of power.”

Also speaking, another resident, Haruna Saidu, noted that the cost of living had become more expensive because of the power outage. “I now have to spend more money because I can’t afford to leave my family in the dark. I now have to buy fuel to ensure I use my generator more,” he said.

On her part, a trader, Mariam Simon, urged the TCN to round off the repairs to reduce the suffering of residents.
“We are really suffering. We need the TCN to complete the repairs fast because we can’t continue to remain in the dark for two days or more,” she added.

Reacting, the Head of Communications, Jos Electricity Distribution Company, Dr Elijah Adakole, called on the customers to be more patient as work was ongoing.

“The TCN is currently working assiduously to restore power in Gombe. Once they complete work, power will be transmitted. Our customers should exercise more patience,” he said.