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 was aware of the pain it had caused to the people of the state.

She explained that discussions were ongoing 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 was 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.

NAN