The Northern Senators Forum has urged the Federal Government to take swift action to restore electricity to Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states, which have been experiencing severe power outages.
Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’adua, Chairman of the Forum, stressed the critical nature of the situation while speaking in Katsina on Saturday, emphasizing that prompt intervention is necessary to alleviate the hardship faced by people across these regions.
He said: “The prolonged outages, primarily attributed to vandalism and national grid disturbances, have caused significant economic strain.
“Small businesses struggle to survive, hospitals face mounting operational costs, and residents bear the burden of expensive fuel as an alternative energy source.”
The forum outlined specific requests for government intervention to stabilize and improve the power supply in the affected states.
These include an urgent call to expedite repairs on the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines to restore a reliable supply and the implementation of security measures to prevent further vandalism of power infrastructure.
Additionally, the forum highlighted the need for sustainable energy solutions, urging support for renewable energy and mini-grid initiatives proposed by the Kano Electricity Distribution Company.
Recognizing recent advancements in power distribution under the current administration, Yar’adua noted that, despite these efforts, the situation remains dire.
“The situation demands urgent attention to alleviate the suffering of constituents and revitalize economic activities,” he said.
The forum stated its commitment to advocating for policies and measures that prioritize the welfare of northern communities, underscoring the immediate need for federal action to support economic stability and quality of life in Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states.
Persecondnews recalls that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) reported a power outage in the northeast, northwest, and parts of north-central Nigeria on Tuesday, October 22, due to a fault in the 330 kV Ugwaji-Apir double circuit transmission lines 1 and 2, which tripped around 4:53 a.m.
The power outage occurred on Monday.
Providing an update on Wednesday, Mrs. Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s general manager of public affairs, said the fault was discovered in the Igumale area of Benue State.
According to Mbah, the fault area, which measures one span, was identified as a snapped 330 kV transmission line in the swampy forest of Igumale, Benue State.
She said: A team of linesmen from the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has discovered the fault on the Ugwuaji-Apir 330KV Double Circuit transmission line at about 5 p.m. this evening, in the Igumale area of Benue State.
“The fault area of the transmission line, which measures about one span, was found to be a snapped 330kV transmission line located in the swampy forest of Igumale.”
Following the discovery, she said preparations are underway to gather the equipment and materials needed for TCN to begin repair work at the incident site on Thursday.
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