(By Tunde Omolehin – SOKOTO)
Kaduna Electric has said the recent water scarcity that has hit Sokoto state was not as a result of power failure on its part as reported by some media sources.
The Business Development and Relationship Officer in charge of Sokoto Area Office, Abubakar Sani, made the clarification in an interview with journalists in the northern state.
It would be recalled that the General Manager, Sokoto State Water Board, AlhajiMoyi Tambuwal, in a recent interview said the water scarcity experienced by Sokoto residents was as a result of power outage caused by Kaduna Electric in the state.
But Sani countered that the distribution company was not in any way responsible for the water shortage, as the state water board enjoys the improved and uninterrupted power supply from its new injection substation.
He, however, acknowledged power outages traceable to a feeder station that supplies the state’s water station, but was quick to add the situation did not amount to sabotage on their part.
“Sokoto State Water Board is on 33 kv line which has been enjoying 24 hours uninterrupted power supply. In fact, the feeder that is feeding the water station is one of our priority feeders,” Sani explained.
“Based on the record available, on 19th September 2016 at about 20:30 hours, there was a fault on the 33 kv line from Kanji station that lasted for almost 24 hours, but was restored on 20th September, 2016 at about 20:25 hours.
“Also, on 21st September 2016, the new injection substation that is feeding the state water board tripped off at about 8:02 hours, and that was quickly restored at about 8:18 hours.
“All these happened within 24 hours and our technical team responded to it at appropriate time. We wondered how this could have caused the acute scarcity of water supply in the state,” he queried.
He described the statement credited to the General Manager as untrue, unfounded and a mere blame game.
According to him, “We are setting the record straight that Kaduna Electric was not responsible for the scarcity of water supply experienced in the state as claimed by the state water board.”
He assured that Kaduna Electric, as a responsive and corporate organisation, will not relent in its efforts to continue providing an improved and stable power supply to all its franchise states.