Northern senators ask FG to restore power in Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, others

The Northern Senators Forum has asked the federal government to swiftly restore electricity supply in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa and other states in the North.

The senators specifically asked the federal government to expedite repairs of the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines to restore reliable power supply.

A communique signed by Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, after their meeting and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, also asked the government to implement measures to prevent future vandalism of power infrastructure in the North.

Daily Trust reports that some parts of the North are experiencing blackout following a fault at the 330kV DC Transmission Line.

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The incident, which caused a blackout in the North-East, North-West and parts of the North-Central, affected the line that is supposed to be a backup for electricity supply to states under the franchise of the Kaduna Electric, Jos Electricity Distribution Company and Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KedCo).

The communique reads in part, “The ongoing outages, resulting from vandalism and national grid disturbances, have brought economic hardship, compromised healthcare delivery, and imposed expensive fuel costs on citizens.

“Small businesses are struggling to operate, hospitals are facing increased running costs, and livelihoods are being severely impacted.

“The Northern Senators Forum respectfully requests the federal government to expedite and prioritise repairs on the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines to restore reliable power supply.

“Support renewable energy. Back KEDCO’s initiatives for renewable energy and Mini Grid solutions to provide sustainable power options.

“The Forum acknowledges the progress made in power distribution under the current administration and appreciates efforts to improve the sector. However, the situation demands urgent attention to alleviate the suffering of constituents and revitalise economic activities.”