By Francis Sardauna in Katsina
In a bid to guard against power outage in Katsina State, the state government and the management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a 2×60 MVA transmission sub-power station in Mashi Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking during the signing of the MoU, Governor Aminu Bello Masari lamented that the state was experiencing acute power outage due to numerous uncompleted power projects in the state.
Masari, in a statement by his Director General, Media and Publicity Abdu Labaran Malumfashi, Friday urged TCN to complete the construction of the 2×60 MVA Sheme-Gusau power station and ensure the extension of the 132 DC transmission line from Daura to Kazaure in Jigawa State to improve power supply to the two states.
He said: “An investor is allocated with a land in Sheme village for the establishment of a textile factory but because of the pending power project, he is there waiting. So, the completion of the electricity project will enable him to commence work on his textile factory as well as boost power and economic activities in the state.
“Therefore, I urge you to bring designs as it affects the right of way to ascertain whether it involves movement of the communities so that compensation could be sought for residents of such communities.”
Earlier, the representative of TCN, Bashir Hassan, told the governor that the projects if competed will generate power from Kano station to Katsina through Daura.
According to the governor, “Daura has an existing station, so the circle will bring power supply from Kano to Katsina, Daura to Danbatta to Babura and a 2×40 sub station in Daura is already being fed with 80 megawatts from Katsina sub station.”
On his part, the Principal Manager in charge of Lines, Mr Ibrahim Aliyu, explained that TCN had completed payment of compensation for land in Batagarawa, while efforts are in progress to pay the compensation in Kusada.
Aliyu explained that construction of electricity towers on the Kano to Bichi line had been completed, adding that conductors and auxiliary readings have been completed too.
He said work on the Katsina- Kurfi- Dutsinma-Kankara- Malumfashi line has temporarily stopped due to funding problem, as it will be executed with internally generated revenue of TCN instead of appropriation.
