Tinubu summons power minister, Ribadu over blackout in north

Amid the prolonged power blackout affecting northern Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has summoned Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to address the crisis, which has caused severe disruptions to daily life and economic activities across the region.

According to Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Tinubu voiced his concern over the two-week outage affecting 17 out of 19 northern states, attributed to vandalism of the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines.

In a briefing with Minister Adelabu, Tinubu was updated on the ongoing repair work, where he emphasized the urgent need for a sustainable solution to prevent future disruptions.

He directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to expedite repairs, urging engineers to intensify their efforts to restore power to impacted communities.

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To safeguard the restoration work, Tinubu also ordered Ribadu to coordinate with the Army and Air Force to provide robust security for TCN personnel and contractors on-site.

The President recommended aerial surveillance to deter further sabotage, ensuring engineers and infrastructure remain secure.

Additionally, Tinubu called on traditional rulers, community leaders, and northern influencers to work with security agencies to protect critical public assets from vandalism.

Reaffirming his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on the deliberate destruction of public utilities, he warned that the government would no longer permit acts of sabotage against the nation’s power infrastructure.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed concern over the blackout in the northern region of Nigeria in the last week. He is now leading efforts to end the disruption that has paralysed social and economic activities, summoning the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

“The President has directed the Minister of Power and relevant agencies to speed up the pace of work to restore electricity to all the affected states in the North.

“President Tinubu is saddened by the reports of vandalism and wilful destruction of power infrastructure and other public assets that caused the unfortunate blackout.

“In a meeting with the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, who briefed on efforts made by the Transmission Company of Nigeria to repair the damaged Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines, the President directed a long-term solution to the problem.

“President Tinubu charged TCN engineers not to relent in bringing immediate relief to the people who need electricity to sustain their social and economic activities.

“To ensure that restoration work continues unhindered, President Tinubu also directed the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to work with the Army and Air Force to deploy adequate security personnel, including aerial cover, to protect the engineers who are fixing the damaged transmission line.

“President Tinubu implores traditional rulers, community leaders, and other leaders of thought to work with security agencies to protect public assets and infrastructure.

“He said the government will no longer condone deliberate sabotage and destruction of public utilities,” the statement reads.

(Nation)