- Power will be restored Tuesday – Deputy Governor
From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has assured that all stakeholders in the state would team up with the state Government to ensure the restoration of power to the state.
Bagudu, who visited the scene of the substation of TCN in Birnin Kebbi alongside Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Umar Abubakar, described the incident as devastating.
The former Kebbi governor visited the scene of the TCN fire incident where two big transformers were destroyed. He also visited Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar and Emir Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammad Illiyasu Bashar to commiserate with them over the incident and recent death of late Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Giro.
While speaking with newsmen after inspection of the fire incident scene, Bagudu said: ” I also come here to commiserate with the state government on the inferno incident at this TCN station. I came here with the Deputy Governor and we are ready to collaborate with the state government to ensure electricity is being restored as quickly as possible.
“I use this opportunity also to commend the State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris for all the giant strides he has been making which we are seeing every day. He is doing a good job to ensure Kebbi State continue to prosper.
“We appreciate the leadership in the state under His Excellency, Dr Idris. I know how passionate the Governor, Dr Idris, is when it comes to issues on how to ensure we move the state forward. He was the only Governor at the Senators’ nominees screening from the morning till evening.
“Our prayer is that Kebbi State will continue to be united, we should continue to give support to our leaders especially, Governor Nasir Idris so that our dear state would continue to prosper,” he said.
Bagudu who also condoled the State over the demised of Sheirk Abubakar Giro, said he was at the palace of the Emir of Argungu and the deceased home to console them over the death of the renowned Islamic scholar.
Speaking at his office during the courtesy visit of Bagudu, Kebbi Deputy Governor Abubakar disclosed that electricity would be restored to some parts of the state on Tuesday.
According to him, “From what we have gathered from the TCN, from the engineering on the site, I am happy to say that their engineers are working round the clock. And I think, before, our thought was that, we are going to be in darkness for 3 weeks or two months.
“But now, they are going to restore electricity very soon. They are working round the clock and they have found a big transformer which is as big as those ones that were burnt. Today probably, tonight or tomorrow, some parts of the state will be restored with electronic,” he said.
The Deputy Governor commended the Budget Minister for his support to the state especially his condolences visit over the late Islamic scholar, and TCN fire incident, stressing that his first official visit to the state has shown that he is a patriotic son of the state.
He added that the state has no doubt that he, as the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Sununu as the State Minister of Education, would be among the best ministers of the country.
Earlier, the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammad Illiyasu Bashar while hosting Bagudu in his Palace commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing two ministers from Kebbi State.
He also described the prompt visit of Bagudu to the state to ascertain the level of damage to the transformers at the TCN substation and condolence visit over the demise of Shirk Giro as characteristic of a true son of the soil.
The Emir prayed for the successful tenure of the two Ministers from the state as well as that of President Tinubu’s administration.