Some members of Janya’u community in the outskirts of Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, on Thursday came out en masse to protest at the State headquarters of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company over black out.
They protesters were demanding immediate restoration of power to their community.
The leader of the group, Mustapha Janya’u told journalists that the distribution company had refused to replace the vandalised transformer supplying electricity to the community.
He explained that when the residents waited for too long, they engaged in community efforts to purchase a new transformer which, according to him, the electricity company installed but refused to connect them to power.
“We have been begging the management of the electricity utility company to connect us with electricity which they refused for a reason we don’t know.
“It is not the responsibility of the electricity consumers to buy transformers since we are paying for the electric consumption.
“This I don’t care attitude by the officials of the electricity utility company led to the protest,” he said.
The Regional Manager of Operation, Abdulrasheed Mohammed, when contacted admitted that it was not the responsibility of the electricity consumers to purchase transformers.
He said that there were processes to be followed before reconnection, noting that the community members actually bought the transformer but refused to follow due processes for them to be reconnected.
Mohammed said the authority argued that every connection in the area must be legal, saying that more than half of the consumers in the area did not connect their electricity with the approval of the company.
However, Mohammed, disclosed that the company was ready to reconnect the community members with electricity if only they could give the company maximum cooperation.
