The Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has urged residents of the state to install solar electric systems in their homes to end the current blackout being faced in the state.
The governor made this known while addressing newsmen on the planned protest by civil society groups in the state over the perennial electric power failure, which has imposed pains and frustration on the residents.
The governor also addressed the water shortage in the state capital Minna, as well as the insecurity in parts of the state, calling on the residents to be patient with the government, stressing that something was being done to restore regular water supply as well as tackle insecurity.
“I can not understand why they are protesting over poor power supply in the city. Electric power distribution is a private business and business-oriented. If they go on protest, I will join them because the failure of power is affecting everybody in Niger State.
“We now have our own solar system company,” he disclosed
Bago further noted that the epileptic power supply in the state would end as soon as residents begin to transition to other sources of power supply as such he encouraged the people to make efforts to have an alternative power supply such as the solar power for their daily use.
To underscore his point, he disclosed that the state government had already transitioned government facilities like hospitals, schools, and government houses, among others, from the national grid to ensure effective service delivery in those sectors.
“The government is very, very concerned about issues that have to do with potable drinking water. We inherited decades of neglect of pipelines; most of them are broken, and they are more than 30 or 40 years old.
“I want to reassure the citizens of Niger State that we are doing everything possible to desilt the Tagwai Dam, change all the pipes and the articulation system in the state capital, and expand more articulation and create more reservoirs so that everybody will have potable drinking water.
“In the interim, we are deploying tankers to go into the distribution of water to people. We are also collaborating with development partners to drill boreholes in communities where people would have potable drinking water.
“We know it is painful now for people, but this will bring a lasting solution. We want to appeal to the people to exercise patience with the Niger State government during this very exercise, ” he said.
On the insecurity bedevilling parts of Niger State, Bago revealed that a collaborative effort between the state and the federal government would bring an end the insecurity and restorie the peace and stability in all the affected communities.
However, he regretted that over 300,000 people were affected by the insecurity and flooding in the state, and there were 10 local governments of the state affected by the displacement
Governor Bago used the forum to appreciate journalists in the state for their support while urging them to do more objective reports in propagating government achievements.
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