By Sadiq Abubakar
Maiduguri
The federal government and the Borno state government are collaborating bring to an end the over one month’s black out and “incessant power outages” in Borno state with the reconstruction and expansion projects of power supply facilities President Jonathan Goodluck had approved for the state.
Similarly, they are also working hand-in-hand to tackle the security challenges facing the state.
Minister of State for Power, Barrister Mohammed Wakil, who stated this yesterday in Maiduguri when he led a 12-man Presidential Committee on Distribution of Relief materials to IDPs in Borno state at the instance of President Jonathan Goodluck, said “this is even being done as part of the federal government’s earlier announced Intervention Fund of N213 billion for private electricity companies to boost the supply of electricity in the country. “
He said with the intervention, the electricity companies were expected to ensure stabilised output at 5,000 mw, which would surpass the short term target in early 2015.
Wakil said to achieve the twin objectives of peace and steady electricity supply, the thinking of both the federal and state governments as well as the indigenes should be that of “unity rather that division.”
He said: “I plead with our people to watch their talks and statements. We all have a duty to eschew rumour mongering which is capable of endangering the lives of our security agents and citizens. I pray for the early resolution of this conflict so that we can commence the needed task of rehabilitation and reconstruction; and that’s why I am here again for the third or fourth time in Borno state.”
Responding, Governor Kashim Shettima assured the minister that the state government would continue to collaborate with the federal government on how the Boko Baram insurgency could be checked and restoration of power supply.
The governor also solicited for approval to procure 1, 000 new high capacity transformers to be installed within the Maiduguri metropolis to meet up with power challenges.
