BY OGORAMAKA AMOS /PORT HARCOURT
AS part of deliberate efforts to stem the incessant vandalization of electricity transmission lines along the Rivers and Bayelsa Corridor, the Rivers and Bayelsa State Governments are synergizing efforts to curb this ugly situation.
Speaking during a joint meeting with the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State and his team, at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State, Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said she was excited because steps to mitigate the vandalization of the towers and transmission lines would be proffered at the end of the meeting, adding that “you do not sweep your problems, under the carpet, you bring them out and bring up strategies that would nip it in the bud”.
Prof Odu disclosed that when the Acting Governor of Bayelsa State called and mentioned why he was calling, she realized it would be beneficial to both states and informed Governor Simi Fubara, who approved that the meeting should be held, stressing that it was the brainchild of the Bayelsa State Acting Governor.
Earlier, the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said the visit was necessitated due to the incessant vandalization of transmission lines located along the boundaries of Rivers and Bayelsa States, specifically, Ahoada East and West Local Government Areas, stressing that there was a need for both states to collaborate and put an end these attacks.
The deputy governor, who revealed that for the past four months, the transmission lines between Bayelsa and Ahoada were vandalized more than three times, noted that the actions of the vandals led to the setting up of an Anti-Vandalism Taskforce in Bayelsa State by Governor Doye Diri, to checkmate their activities.
Sen. Ewhrudjakpo, who thanked the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for taking an interest in bringing to an end the activities of these vandals, noted that Rivers State had continued to play the role of an elder brother to Bayelsa State.
Addressing journalists shortly after the closed-door meeting, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, said both states discussed extensively how to curb the activities of vandals along their transmission lines, stressing that they were planning to have a joint vigilante team, derived from the communities where they have the transmission towers because, according to her, the communities’ involvement was key to finding a lasting solution to the problem. Also speaking the Rivers State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Hon. Charles Beke, expressed the readiness on the part of the Rivers State Government to implement resolutions reached between the two States.
