By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Nineteen Seventeen Northern Consensus movement has back the recent stand of Northern Governors Frum, and Arewa consultative forum over black out in the Northern part of the country.
In a Press statement signed and made available to newsmen by president of the movement Dr, Awwal Abdullahi Aliyu said. “We at NSNCM are in full support with the recent communique issued at the Northern States Governors Forum meeting with the Chairmen Northern States Council of Emirs and Chiefs held on Monday 28th of October 2024, in the presence of the Chief of Defence Staff General. Christopher Musa.
While the joint meeting of the Northern Governors Forum and the joint Traditional Council deliberated extensively on matters of common interest, the Forum in its 5th point of the communique summarized the issue of Blackout in the North appropriately.
Also in support with the communique of the Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF) which expressed a declaration of “A State of Emergency on persistent power supply outage in Northern States” and cautioned against inequities in electricity distribution as a National Security threat.
This is in tandem with the ACF that gave a grave situation in the North and the horrendous blackout challenges. Not only that, the ACF gave a synopsis of the electricity distribution in the whole country and with a view of equitable distribution to all Zones. We are all on the same payment tariffs.
“The response made by the CDS while addressing the issue of security in relation with the blackout, has put to rest banditry and insurgency as the bane of the compromised, faulty or collapsed Transmission Towers (TT).While others may have their own views, security and the curb of insurgency has seen very significant progress.
“The CDS and his team-players should not be distracted but sustain the tempo. Even the human body that regenerate itself collapses.Many factors can lead to the collapse of these TTs.They could be environmental or metal fatigue or right down structural failure due to time.
The statement added “Just like the CDS mentioned, a robust protection of these TTs and Lines by security agencies is in place, TCN needs to up its ante on maintenance and also to give the consumer assurance and comfort that all electricity produced is efficiently evacuated, transmitted and distributed.
He opined that “Monitoring the “Right of Way”, (just like the petroleum pipelines) of the TTs should be reviewed. Global positioning system GPS,thermal/night vision should be considered and assigned to every TT and monitored at assigned Monitoring/Control Centers.This will help in detecting which TT or TTs that need prompt and precise attention in minimum time.
“This will also help all agencies involved to deploy personnel and equipment with pinpoint accuracy to the areas that need emergency resuscitation.Mr.President Sir, with all due respect and permission of the authors of both communiques,we submit as Annextures 1 & 2 for added literature.
He noted that Peace and Development are travel companions, so is it our responsibility to avail our “Movement” in areas of advocacy, enlightenment and vital information desimination.
“Mr. President Sir, we at NSNCM wish you note that and without prejudice to anyone one section, that the whole country is like the human anatomy, where all vital organs work in tandem to keep the body functioning.