By Hillary Asemota
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) organized a one-day community sensitization programme for Ahoada East and Ahoada West youth on May 15, 2025.
The programme, held at Igbu Ehuda-Ahoada Civic Centre, aimed to educate youths on the “Role of Community Youths in The Fight Against Vandalism of Power Facilities Traversing Their Communities”. Over a hundred youths from 19 communities attended the event.
In his address, the General Manager Port Harcourt Region, Engr. Akpa Emmanuel Anyaegbunam, emphasized the importance of youths in the fight against vandalism.
He cited the prolonged outage in Bayelsa State due to vandalism of TCN towers along the Ahoada/Yenagoa transmission line, which resulted in 20 towers being vandalized in July last year.
Anyaegbunam, urged the youths to take responsibility for safeguarding power installations in their communities. He noted that all the vandals apprehended so far are youths and emphasized the need for collective action to prevent vandalism.
He also hinted at TCN’s plans to engage more vigilantes from among the villagers to help secure TCN installations.
The programme included an interactive session where youth representatives and community development committee chairmen from various communities took turns to ask questions and pledge their support for TCN’s cause.
Mr. Isaiah Sunday, a youth leader, suggested that surveillance was key to preventing vandalism and proposed that TCN consider employing youths from the community to help secure the lines.
Benjamin Emmanuel, another youth leader, noted that some vandals do not come from the local communities and emphasized the need for prompt prosecution of apprehended vandals.
He suggested that publicizing the prosecution process would serve as a deterrent to potential vandals. The youths also suggested that community leaders and youths should be fully involved in protecting TCN facilities.
TCN’s engagement with the Ahoada East and Ahoada West youths demonstrates the company’s commitment to collaborating with local communities to prevent vandalism and ensure the reliability of power supply. By working together, TCN and the local youths can help safeguard power infrastructure and promote economic development in the region.
