North Suffers Blackout: 19 Governors Hold Meeting As President Reinforces Troops Against Vandals

North Suffers Blackout: 19 Governors Hold Meeting As President Reinforces Troops Against Vandals
On Monday, the governors of the 19 northern states called for diversification of energy sources due to ongoing blackouts affecting 17 states in the region. Only Niger and Kwara states have maintained electricity supply over the past two weeks, with Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, and Katsina being the hardest hit.

The PUNCH reports that commercial activities in the region have severely suffered because of the outages, which have been attributed to vandalism of power transmission lines. To address the issue, Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, who chairs the Northern States Governors’ Forum, held a meeting with the 18 other governors and traditional rulers in Kaduna State on Monday.

Notable attendees included Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and other prominent monarchs from the region. The governors urged the Federal Government to resolve the electricity blackout and invest in additional transmission lines and diverse energy sources to enhance electricity supply.

A communiqué signed by Governor Yahaya called on the Federal Government and relevant agencies to urgently address the blackout caused by the vandalism of transmission infrastructure. The statement emphasized the need for greater energy resilience in the region.

Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party in the 2023 elections, expressed his dismay over the situation, labeling it disheartening. He called on governors to prioritize alternative power sources to meet energy demands, highlighting the need for investment in such solutions.

In response to the crisis, President Bola Tinubu instructed Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and relevant agencies to expedite efforts to restore electricity to the affected states. He condemned the vandalism of public utilities and stressed the importance of a long-term solution.

During a meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Tinubu ordered the National Security Adviser to collaborate with the military to provide security for engineers working to repair the damaged transmission lines. The Federal Government also announced commitments from contractors and financiers to invest between $1 billion and $2 billion in solar plants, which would generate 50MW in each of the 19 northern states, leveraging the region’s abundant sunlight to ease the burden on the national grid.

Adelabu confirmed that discussions regarding the electricity supply disruptions focused on the vandalization of the critical Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line. Security concerns for repair crews have further complicated efforts to restore power, but coordinated efforts with military officials aim to provide necessary protection for ongoing repairs.

For more information on this article and other related posts from Bushradiogist, please join our WhatsApp channel by clicking this link https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaUumOODTkK7AZL1Fw3o. For advertisement inquiries only, kindly send a message to 090 1907 0863 on WhatsApp.