Taraba State government and Residents have lamented the prolonged two weeks power outage, saying it is making life difficult for inhabitants of Jalingo, the state capital, calling on the federal government to act quickly.
The residents said the work of power restoration lies in the hands of the Federal Government, adding that all entreaties to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, over the prolonged power outage have not been responded to.
Recall that on April 22, 2024, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, announced that four power transmission line towers along the Jos-Gombe 330kV line were vandalised and will cause power disruption in some states across the North East subregion, including Taraba.
Taraba State Commissioner for Energy and Economic Development, Naomi Agbu, who spoke on Thursday, told residents of Jalingo to continue to endure as there is no definitive date for power restoration.
According to her, “This issue is a federal matter, and I want to assure you that we are taking this matter very seriously. We have been working tirelessly with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) to address the situation.
“We have also contacted the Minister of Power, and we are yet to get positive feedback for the weeks of blackout in a state capital such as Jalingo in Nigeria.
“The lengthy time to respond to this matter is concerning as it shows complete neglect by the FGN to Taraba state and the region.
“If there is one thing we have all learned in the past few days from the response time to faults and the priority of the heads in the sector, it is that the network to the North-East region is vulnerable.
“The outcry for a robust plan such as the North-East ring circuit as contained in the proposal of TCN expansion plan to connect the North-East to the South of Nigeria should be implemented by the FGN immediately.
“As a Ministry of Energy and Economic Development to Taraba state residents, I urge all to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or individuals observed near transmission line towers or electrical facilities attempting to vandalise any infrastructure.
“I understand the frustration and inconvenience that this disruption has caused to all our dear residents. We as a Ministry waited to address the public until significant progress has commenced by the FGN, of which we have been informed that TCN has handed over the site to the contractor, and restoration works have commenced.
“We do not have a definitive date for when power will be supplied because it is the job of the FGN to restore transmission line services. However, we commit to providing updates on the progress of restoring electricity supply.”