The Northern Senators’ Forum (NSF) has urged the Federal Government to promptly intervene to restore electricity supply in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states.
Chairman of NSF, Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’adua, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.
Yar’adua decried the situation of electricity supply in the three states, saying that the power outage was occasioned by vandalism and national grid disturbances.
He said that the situation had brought economic hardship and compromised healthcare delivery, thus resulting in the citizens incurring more expenses on fuel.
According to him, while small businesses are struggling to operate, hospitals are equally experiencing increased running costs, thereby negatively impacting livelihoods.
The senator said that NSF acknowledged the progress made in power distribution so far under the present administration and appreciated its efforts to improve the sector.
He, however, said that the situation needed urgent attention to alleviate the sufferings of the constituents and revitalise economic activities in the axis.
“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,” he said.
This, Yar’adua said, was also imperative to enhance security, implement measures to prevent future vandalism and protect power infrastructure.
He called for support to the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) initiatives on renewable energy and mini-grid solutions to provide sustainable power options. (NAN)