By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Taraba State government has accused the Federal Government of neglecting the state and the entire northeast region by failing to address the weeks-long blackout in Jalingo, the state capital.
Miss Naomi Agbu, Commissioner of Energy and Economic Development in Taraba State, made this statement at a press conference in Jalingo. She highlighted the devastating impact of the blackout, including increased crime and security challenges.
Agbu condemned the acts of sabotage that have damaged electrical infrastructure in the northeast, causing widespread inconvenience and hardship for millions of people. She expressed disappointment with the lack of response from the Federal Government, particularly the Minister of Power, despite weeks of blackouts in Jalingo.
“The lengthy time to respond to this matter is concerning as it shows complete neglect by the Federal Government of Nigeria to Taraba State and the region,” Agbu stated. “The response time to faults and the priority of the heads in the sector demonstrate the vulnerability of the network to the northeast region.”
She emphasized the urgent need for the Federal Government to implement the North-East ring circuit proposal, which would connect the region to the south of Nigeria and provide a more robust power supply.
Agbu acknowledged that some states have received partial reconnection through an old 132kV line, but she emphasized the limitations of this line, including its age, length, and low capacity. She also expressed concern about the rise in crime and insecurity in the already vulnerable northeast region due to the blackout.
“The cascading effects on our regional economy, especially in terms of food production, cannot be overstated,” Agbu said.
She urged residents to remain vigilant and engage with communities hosting electrical infrastructure to ensure security. She also called on federal representatives in the region to be proactive in addressing the power restoration issue.
“We understand the frustration and inconvenience that this disruption has caused to all our dear residents,” Agbu concluded. “We, as a Ministry waited in addressing 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.”
Our correspondent reports that Jalingo and parts of northern Taraba have been experiencing a total blackout for almost three weeks, resulting in acute water shortage, other extreme hardships, and a lack of fuel with consequent price hikes.