Senate wants immediate Power restoration in North East

By Iyojo Ameh

The Senate has directed immediate power restoration to states in total darkness in North East Geo – political zone caused by vandalization of TCN transmission lines in the zone .

It specifically , urged the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Power , to as a matter of urgency , allocate funds to the Transmission Company of Nigeria ( TCN) , to address faults lines along Jos – Gombe 330kv , Gombe – Maiduguri , Maiduguri – Damaturu 330kv lines , for power restoration to all affected towers .

It also urged the Federal Ministry of Power to collaborate with security agencies and local vigilantes in host communities of TCN transmission lines to deter and prevent acts of vandalism.

Senate’s resolutions were sequel to a motion sponsored to that effect by Senator Manu Haruna ( PDP Taraba Central ) and co – sponsored by 16 other Senators from the North Central Geo – Political Zone .

Senator Manu in the motion lamented over the act of vandalism of critical electricity transmission infrastructure which, according to him, poses a significant threat to the economic prosperity, public health, safety, and security of the North-East region of Nigeria.

He stressed that the recent incidents of vandalism along the Jos-Gombe 330KV transmission line have resulted in severe disruptions to power supply, affecting millions of residents, hospitals, commercial activities, communication networks, public safety, and the overall well-being of the people in Plateau, Gombe: Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Yobe, and Borno States.

He said, “The frequent vandalisation of transmission lines, especially the destruction of TCN towers, not only disrupts the electricity supply in the affected states but also compromises essential services such as healthcare and education.

” It also exacerbates insecurity issues, and imposes a heavy financial burden on public resources for the repair and replacement of infrastructural damages.

“The indirect effects of power outages on food production further strain the food inflation in the country, impacting the availability and affordability of agricultural products, particularly in the North East region, which is a major cultivator and producer.

“The proposed alternative transmission line route, namely the construction of the Makurdi-Jalingo 330KV transmission line, offers a viable solution to mitigate the risks of vandalisation and improved resilience and reliability of the electrical infrastructure in the region”.

Contributing to the motion, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) lamented over the worsening case of power outages on the region and called for justice.

He said, “In the late 90s, the North Eastern part of Nigeria was categorised to be the poorest. The Electricity we get is nothing compared to what others get. Infact we want justice. We were promised mambila electricity. We need full, complete and total attention of the Federal Government. The North East Development Commission (NEDC) cannot attend to all these problems alone.”

Senator Danjuma Goje (PDP, Gombe Central) noted that for over a month the North Eastern region has been in darkness due to several cases of transformer vandalisation.

“Up till now no result has come out. because of this there is no food, no water and as a result, health issues. This is associated with so many things including insecurity.”

In the same vein, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (APC, Borno Central) said, “Some part of the North East have had no light in the last 2 years. As we speak, government institutions like airport and schools are been run by generators.”

On his part, Senator Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West) said, “It should not only be confined to the North East. It is a general problem. You can barely achieve anything without electricity.

“This 10th Senate should be much more uncommon in addressing the electricity issues in the country. Nigeria has all the sources of power generation. If things like this continue, Nigerians will not appreciate the efforts of the government.”

Following the debates on the motion, the Senate resolved further that the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expedite the construction of the Makurdi-Jalingo 330KV transmission line, in alignment with the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP) and the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), to connect the North-East region to the South-East transmission network.