President Bola Tinubu has instructed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja; and the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, that sufficient security measures be put in place for personnel to ensure timely restoration of power supply to the northern part of Nigeria.
Tribune Online reports that insurgents had vandalised the Shiroro-Kaduna line that provides bulk electricity to Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa leaving the states in total darkness.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, while briefing the media on Monday in Abuja, said the President has ordered the NSA and the security chiefs to provide the required security for the people who will fix the demolished line.
According to Adelabu, fixing a demolished line should not take more than three or five days, but it requires that the security of those who will be on the ground to fix such lines be guaranteed.
“Fixing a transmission line within three days to five days, we should finish. That is when you work under standard temperature and pressure (STP) when there are no security threats, and when you are sure of your safety in the area.
“Why it has escalated to this level is because we’ve not been able to guarantee the security of lives for those that work there.
“But Mr President has assured me that he has also instructed the NSA, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, and Chief of Air Staff to provide the required security for people that will fix the demolished line,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has convened a joint meeting involving the governors and traditional rulers to address the ongoing blackout in the region.
Chairman of the NSGF and Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, during the meeting of the Forum in Kaduna, said they are more determined to chart a unified agenda to enhance regional cooperation and development and leverage the North’s resources to promote long-term development.
“As we speak today, most of our northern states are in darkness due to the vandalisation of electricity transmission infrastructure.
“This not only underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure but also the need to build additional transmission lines and diversify our energy supply to better connect our region and improve our energy resilience.
“Northern Nigeria holds immense agricultural potential, which, if fully harnessed, can significantly alleviate hunger and boost economic growth,” Inuwa stated.
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