The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has condemned the vandalisation of some facilities of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) by unknown persons in Agbede, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.
Obaseki who received the TCN Manager in Edo, Mr. Isaac Okpe on a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City, ordered for thorough investigation into circumstances that led to the incident.
“As a government, we are very concerned about this incident. Why will people go out to vandalise such structures with such a high risk?” he queried.
The governor continued: “We need to get to the bottom of our investigation to know why people engage in such incidents.
“We need to know the purpose. If you recall, about four years ago, we set up a committee to look at the menace of settlement of where these equipment are sited.”
“Some communities were claiming that they were not paid; I think that what we should do is to revisit that report to enable us get to the root of the issue,” he added.
Obaseki reassured that his administration would engage local vigilantes to protect all the TCN facilities across the state, adding that electricity is of immense value to the state.
He stated: “These assets are of great value to us in Edo State; we are using electricity to grow our businesses. We are really sorry about the vandalism; it is something that is not acceptable.”
Earlier, Okpe thanked the governor for his support, congratulating him on his victory at the tribunal.
“We want to thank you for your collaboration and support that made the construction and energizing of Etsako 132/33kv substation a reality. We want to solicit your support in tackling the menace of vandalism on our equipment. We are here to ask for your support in galvanizing the security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders in the state on the security of our assets.”
