There was jubilation among the residents of Kaduna as the prolonged power outage was restored in the early hours of today, following the personal guarantee bond signed with the striking electricity workers by the governor, Uba Sani.

Though electricity was restored around 12:20 a.m. on Saturday, while many residents in the metropolis were already in bed asleep, there were shouts of jubilation in most parts of the suburbs, including Romi, Sabo, and Trikania, as many youths trooped to the streets to acknowledge the restoration of power.

The Guardian reports that at around 10 p.m. on Friday, there had been a statement from the government that the prolonged power outages in the Northwest states of Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara would be over, as the Governor Sani had personally entered into an agreement with the management and the aggrieved striking workers to stand as surety to end the strike and restore power to the affected states.

The Kaduna State Government stated, “The management of Kaduna Electric will review its past actions, and the two in-house labour unions have also agreed to restore electricity to Kaduna State and all its franchise states with immediate effect.”
The statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Government, Ibrahim Musa, further explained that the resolutions were reached after Governor Sani had convened a meeting with both parties on Friday at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, which ended around 8 p.m.
It will be recalled that the labour unions of Kaduna Electric had embarked on industrial action since last Sunday, following the decision of the management to sack 444 workers, thereby plunging Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi states into darkness.

“At the end of the meeting, Governor Uba Sani promised to be the guarantor as he would ensure fairness to both sides after both parties agreed to sit down and take a joint decision.

“The unions praised the governor for his intervention. They also commended the management, ably led by Dr. Hashidu, for moving Kaduna Electric forward,” Musa stated.

He added that the unions also noted that the management is operating under stringent conditions, given the prevailing economic situation in the country, but promised to help it succeed.

He added, “The parties also noted that both the management of Kaduna Electric and the labour unions are partners in progress, adding that what happened was a result of a breakdown in communication.

“The meeting also argued that there must be a give-and-take on the part of both the management and labour in order to find an amicable settlement of the dispute.”

Meanwhile, the resolution was signed by Dr. Umar Abubakar Hashidu, the Managing Director of the electricity company; Comrade Wisdom Nwachukwu, the Vice President (Distribution) of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE); and Comrade Rilwanu Shehu, Deputy President (North) of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC).

Other union members who signed the resolution include Comrade Muhammed Musa, Deputy President (North) of NUEE, and Comrade Haruna Ahmed Tinau, Deputy Secretary General (North).

The Managing Director of Kaduna Power Supply Company, Idris Idris, also signed the resolution.