Sokoto residents kick, lick wounds of blackout

“We are yet to recover from the electricity cut which we experienced in Sokoto State.  It was a terrible experience .I lost most of my commodity to the blackout”, a fish seller Mrs. Audu lamented. She added that “I lost close to N100,000. Who will pay for the loss? Why were the common people punished […]

“We are yet to recover from the electricity cut which we experienced in Sokoto State.  It was a terrible experience .I lost most of my commodity to the blackout”, a fish seller Mrs. Audu lamented. She added that “I lost close to N100,000. Who will pay for the loss? Why were the common people punished for no sin of theirs”?

The National Union of Electricity Employees had on Friday November 2, 2012 cut electricity from the state after the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum it gave to the state governor to tender an apology over alleged assault the business manager of Gwiwa business unit of PHCN, and two other staff of the company for allegedly failing to supply electricity to the governor’s village, after N17million was allegedly given for the purpose.

Both sides denied allegations against them. While the governor said he never assaulted the PHCN staff, the latter denied receiving N17million.

So it was blackout in Sokoto, even with calls, court order and protest for the restoration of electricity. The total blackout lasted for about five days.

It took the intervention of a former Managing Director of the company, Engr. Bello Suleiman, the Sultan of Sokoto, some ministers and members of the National Assembly for electricity to be restored.

Many in the state said the blackout, which came at a time of fuel scarcity, took severe economic toll on them. Worst hit were the owners of cold rooms, grinding machines, ice –block makers, business centres among others.

Many of them said they were still counting cost of the blackout and were yet to recover from the losses they incurred as at weekend.

Most of the people with businesses had to close shops and for many who live from hand to mouth, it was a hectic period feeding their families.

Those who had the means to buy petrol at N140 per litre, which it mostly sold for at the period, paid heavily for it.

A business centre operator said he spent about N5,000 on fuel daily to keep him in business during the period. Many families lost food items stored in the refrigerator. It was moreso as Sallah celebration had just ended and people still had a lot of things stored in their refrigerators. Those who could afford the high cost of petrol also spent a lot to power their generator.

“During the period electricity was cut off, I bought 30 litres of fuel daily at N140 per litre that was N4,200”, a mother of 4, Hajiya Ramatu Sani, lamented.

But the Arewa Nationalists Movement has demanded compensation for the people of Sokoto state for the losses incurred during the four day blackout just as he said PHCN should tender unreserved apology to the people.

The National President of the movement, Engr. Abdulkadir Ibrahim Waziri, asserted in Sokoto, “We would like the Sokoto State Government to quantify all losses, incurred by the people for PHCN to compensate the losses including those who died in hospitals across the state due to this barbaric action of its staff. We implore the government to seek redress in the matter so as to ensure justice is done and the rights of the people are given to them through compensation”. He stressed that if this is not done, they would not hesitate to go to court.

“From our side, we will follow the issue to its logical conclusion till justice is ensured,” Waziri stated.

Similarly, the PHCN Electricity Consumers Association, Sokoto State, demanded immediate compensation of N1 billion from PHCN for disconnecting the state from electricity supply.

The chairman of the association, Kabiru Aliyu, stressed that due to “unwarranted suffering occasioned by the blackout”, they demand compensation “for uncalled for deaths of patients at hospitals and at home, loss of business profits and unwarranted blackout on the masses.”

The association noted that the people of the state were made” scapegoats for no just cause”.

While the situation lasted, some individuals and organizations had shown concern over the plight of the people.

Sokoto-based political figures, Hassan and Husseini Kangiwa, described the situation as unfortunate and wondered why the electricity workers should inflict unwarranted pains on people.

Husseini said it was politically- motivated adding “there is nowhere in the world where such a thing can happen to disconnect light from such places as hospitals. There has never been such from any electricity company all over the world”.

On his part, Hassan Kangiwa said it was a grievous mistake for the electricity workers to take the law into their hands. “It is most unfortunate for the company to see this as the easiest solution, to disconnect light in Sokoto State. Several people lost their loved ones in the hospital”.

He said if PHCN staff had issues with the governor, they should rather have reported to the appropriate authorities.

In its opinion, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) harped on the need for urgent solution to the imbroglio to save the innocent masses from unnecessary hardship. The Publicity Secretary of the party, Saidu Muhammad Gumbirawa, noted that “the issues on ground have no political undertones and as such politics should be removed from it. It is purely administrative and should be treated as such”.

But the PDP described, the problem as political saying it was an attempt to discredit the PDP-led government in the state.

Even as electricity has been restored, there have been calls for an investigation into the purported contributions made by Sokoto State government to the PHCN and the motive behind the disconnection moves.

Such purported contributions were part of what the chairman of Arewa Nationalists Movement pointed out during a press conference last Thursday in Sokoto.

Waziri stated “we found out that Sokoto State government contributed N10 million and they collected monthly charges from the people of Sokoto. At the inception of Wamakko’s administration, six new Hilux vans were donated to the PHCN, in addition to the sum of N21 million monthly payments”.

According to him, this is also in addition to state government’s distribution of transformers and armoured cables to local government areas.

But last Thursday, the PHCN again embarked on mass disconnection of Sokoto State government ministries and agencies which the NUEE Secretary in Sokoto, Yusuf Abdulkarim, insisted were owing the company.