5th May,
2023
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC BERATES EPILEPTIC POWER
SUPPLY IN KEBBI STATE
Recent happenings as regards power supply cut-off in Birnin Kebbi
metropolis has been a subject of discuss by all and sundry at any available
space and time. The power supply outage has meted untold hardships and has
posed serious threats on the economic and social lives of the citizens. This
trend has only reached its peak now but has been in existence for almost two
months.
We all remember how the citizens were subjected to abysmal power
supply during Ramadan despite the hot weather condition and the attendant
dehydration occasioned during such period. Several complaints made by
individuals and groups fell on deaf ears as the management of Kaduna Electric
failed to respond to the yearnings of the people even through apology. This is
in total violation of the rights of customers as provided by NERC Consumer Rights
Regulations.
We are aware that the attention of the Area Manager has earlier been
drawn by some stakeholders to the security implications of his (in)actions but
he rebuffed all. The action of those military personnel (either legal or
illegal) is only one of such implications.
This necessitates the call for all the relevant power and security
agencies to put to check the excesses of the Kaduna Electric management and
staff on power supply in Birnin Kebbi metropolis in particular and the state at
large vis-a-vis the security, economic, health and social implications of their
professional negligence.
While we don't support jungle justice and individuals taking the law
into their hands, we find it difficult and condemn in totality the rationale of
throwing away the baby with the bath water.
MURIC has many questions begging for answers: What is the offence
of the company's customers who have been paying their bills monthly (including
those with prepaid metres) and have been subjected to unjustified epileptic
power supply for over two months now? What differentiates homo sapiens from
animal farm if a basic necessity like electricity is been denied to them in
this era?
How can a trader be fighting and even punishing all his customers
for an offence committed by a section of customers? What can they say on the
rights of the talakawas that have been paying their bills and yet they only
receive darkness? Are the Kaduna Electric aware that they are to be responsible
for the damages incurred by their customers due to their failure to fulfill
their own side of the bargain?
We are calling on the federal and state governments as well as the
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to sanction whoever is responsible
for this anti-masses decision so as to ensure prompt restoration of power
supply as well as arrest such situation in future. Such will only serve as a
lesson to other DISCOS and any other corporate body or individual that may
cause any type of economic sabotage.
Nigeria is not animal farm and as such, its citizens should not be
subjected to untold hardships. Their economic, security and social lives must
be guaranteed. Such is the primary function of government and its functionaries
and any other individual or corporate body providing basic necessity whether
public or private.
We demand an immediate restoration of power supply and an apology
from the management of Kaduna Electric for this brazen abuse of rights of the
citizens as such attitude contradicts the ethos of a civilized society.
Dr. Abdullahi Bello Umar
Chairman
Mal. Nasiru Muhammad Kwaifa
Secretary
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