Housewives protest against blackout in Kano

Lawmakers grant Ganduje’s N4b power loan request

Housewives in Kano State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest against epileptic power supply by Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) at Unguwar, Medile and Sheka in Kumbotso Local Council.

The protesting women were seen carrying placards urging the state government and other relevant authorities to wade into the matter urgently.

Some of the women lamented that their light had not blinked in the past seven months, a situation that gave rise to the increase in criminal activities.

Spokesperson to the aggrieved women, Mrs. Aliyu Hamza, told reporters: “We are imprisoned in our houses at sunset because of threat by criminals. We feel that this protest will draw the attention of the government for possible intervention.”

Head of Corporate Affairs, KEDCO, Ibrahim Shawai, was not available for comment when The Guardian visited his office for clarification and did not respond to phone calls.

HOWEVER, the House of Assembly has approved Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s request to secure over N4 billion domestic loan for the completion of the state’s hydroelectric power plant.

Also, the lawmakers urged the executive to provide more land for cemeteries in the metropolis.

Announcing the lawmakers’ decision at plenary, yesterday, the Speaker, Hamisu Chidari, explained that the request to borrow the facility was given accelerated consideration following the importance of the Tiga and Challawa power plants.

The independent power plant, inaugurated nine years ago, was designed to generate estimated 7.2 megawatts of electricity.

Although, the project got N1.8 billion in the 2021 budget, it had featured in the yearly appropriation in the last nine years.

The project, which reportedly stood at 95 per cent completion two years ago, is expected to provide job opportunities for youths and revive several moribund industries in Kano.

In another development, a joint motion moved by Nasiru Amare (Karaye Constituency) and Sunusi Bataiya (Albasu Constituency) urged the assembly to direct the state government to provide additional cemeteries across the state.