One of the things that Kebbi residents might not need to worry about for now is stable electricity supply. At a time when different stories are being told about the hardship people are facing in their respective businesses or domestic lives, due to the epileptic power supply in virtually every Nigerian community, the situation is different in Kebbi State.
Since inception of this administration under Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, electricity supply in Kebbi has been regular compared to other states. Its success story in this regard and the strategy the state government adopted to ensure its residents enjoy regular electricity is quite amazing in the face of constant power outage across the country.
A resident said the present electricity supply being enjoyed by Kebbi residents is sourced from the power Nigeria supplies Niger Republic. “I think the good thing is that the state government is intelligent enough to link the state to it in order to boost the electricity need of its people. Not only that, I am aware the administration bought more transformers, assisted electric transmission and distribution agencies with necessary facilities and also created infrastructure to boost regular power supply in the state,” he said.
The regular power supply has brought a sort of excitement to people in Kebbi, particularly artisans and skilled workers who need stable power supply to operate their businesses.
Victor Emmanuel is an Aluminium worker with the All State Aluminium Company along Emir Haruna road, Birnin Kebbi. He said “We are enjoying electricity in Birnin Kebbi. Even though they sometimes take the light, it is just for some minutes. What we are witnessing now is different from how it was before this government came in. During the previous administration electricity was rationed. They would give us for five hours only, and then give to other areas of the town for another five hours. Sometimes it might not even come at all, leaving our businesses to suffer. But today it is different. I must say we are doing well now with steady power supply and we thank the government for it.”
Abdulrasak is the Sales Manager, Easy Way International Ventures (Electronic Mega Plaza). He said the patronage of generator has reduced drastically in Kebbi, since May last year when government fixed the power outage being witnessed in the state. “Since they fixed the electricity issue people no longer buy generators, and this has affected our business. There is nothing we can do since government has done what it wanted to do on power supply. Even though it is affecting us we just have to endure. I remember we made much sales and a lot of profit before this government took over. It was good for us then but since it is like this now we don’t have to be selfish.”
An official of the distribution agency told our correspondent that immediately the governor was sworn in last May, he met with some of their officials to enquire if it was possible for Kebbi State to achieve 24-hour uninterrupted power supply. “We told him it was possible with the support of the state government. He bought over 200 transformers and other important electricity facilities that would make it possible for us to supply regular electricity to Birnin Kebbi and the 21 local government areas of the state,” he said.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mu’azu Dakingari, said the regular power supply experienced in the state now is part of the dividends of democracy Governor Atiku promised the people of Kebbi State. “To achieve this, he has provided the necessary facilities for power companies and bought transformers for easy distribution. As you can see, this government has already delivered on power supply just as it is presently doing in the areas of rice and wheat production.”
Bashir Yusuf,a station manager at the Eastern Bye Pass Injection Substation of the Kaduna Electric Distribution in Birnin Kebbi, told Daily Trust on Sunday that Kebbi State was able to achieve the feat in stable electricity supply because there are enough facilities to boost the supply. “In Birnin Kebbi alone we have four power control stations. Though we cannot compare the size of Kebbi with places like Abuja or Kano but what is largely responsible for stable electricity supply in Birnin Kebbi is the availability of necessary electricity facilities like transformers, injection stations and others.”
He added that Kaduna Electric Distribution Company, which is in charge of power distribution in Kebbi State, has just taken delivery of smaller transformers to further enhance stability of electricity supply in the state. “Very soon we will start installing the transformers,” he said.
Wasiu Salaudeen is the owner of Success Barbing Salon at Gesse Phase 1 in Birnin Kebbi. While speaking on the power issue, he said “This government needs to be commended for the regular power supply we are now enjoying in Birnin Kebbi. Though we don’t know how it was able to achieve this but we are happy about it. This is my 16th year in Kebbi, I have never witnessed something like this under any administration not even during Adamu Aliero who tried to do something like this. I am a Barber; I suffered some set back during the last administration due to poor power supply. I used to spend not less than N3,000 on petrol daily but the situation is different now. I cannot remember the last time I switched on my generator. Despite this hot weather we still sleep well because there is always light. I tell you the change we are expecting has finally come.”
