By SANI DUTSINMA; Editing by BASIRAT MEMUDU
The Multi-Stakeholder Committee on Electricity Supply to Kebbi State has held an interactive session with some critical stakeholders with a view to find out the lasting solutions associated with the power supply to the State.
Declaring the session open, the Chairman of the Committee, Usman Abubakar Gwandu said the essence of the meeting is to rub minds together to find lasting solutions and ways of addressing the lingering issues.
He added that, the committee was divided into three sub committees in order to give room for general public and professionals in the field to contribute their quota toward addressing the menace of KEDCO and to have alternative, acceptable and presentable ways through their recommendations.
Usman Abubakar further disclosed that, they held an engagement meeting with traditional rulers, journalists and technical experts in order to have alternative sources of energy as well as acceptable, presentable and implementable to present to the government for necessary action.
In his contribution, the Chairman of the Technical and Supply Sub – Committee, Engineer Abdulsalam Muhammad enumerated some challenges affecting consumers of the energy to include ignorance, extortion of money from NEPA II as well as non supply of the energy to customers.
He further explained that, vandalization, lack of upgrading of facilities, lack of adequate personnel, inadequate prepaid meters, non remittance of the revenue generation are the major stumbling blocks toward proper supply of the energy.
Also speaking, an expert in the field, Professor A A Gulma said time has come for the government to find an alternative solution to the power generation in Kebbi State and the country at large as they can’t meet the demand of the public adding that, government should provide and install equipments that would help to generate more light to avoid epileptic supply.
He also advocated for installation of solar energy in some government MDAs, Schools, hospitals, irrigation farms and the rest to avoid total dependency on KEDCO so that their challenges can be minimal.
Commenting on the issues, the KEDCO regional manager Kebbi State, Engineer Abdulrashid Muhammad said they are doing their best, though there are some challenges especially in the commercial sector of the company but they would cooperate with the committee and the general public to make it thing of the past.
Most of the people who are consumers of the energy expressed dismay over the deteriorating state of the nation’s power industry, warning that consumers are being pushed to the limit.
They also warned that without urgent intervention, the crisis could further cripple electricity supply, economic activities and deepen the hardship already facing millions of Nigerians.
