Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello of Niger State has expressed preparedness of his administration to shop for alternative source(s) of energy as the endless excuses by the Abuja Electricity Development Company (AEDC) is becoming unbearable.
The state government has been at loggerhead with the AEDC over inadequate power supply. While many investors/ industrialists have been sent packing, some existing businesses had been crippled resulting in loss of jobs.
Governor Sani Bello has however disclosed that two investors – an Israeli and the other from the United Arab Emirates – were on ground for the take-off of alternative energy source project.
Bello made the disclosure when he hosted the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago, who led his councilors and other traditional rulers from Minna Emirate on a visit to him at Government House.
Bello said that the need for the alternative source of energy was to boost Internally Generated Revenue as the small-scale businesses would bounce back to pay revenue to the state government.
Though still agitating for the retention of 10 percent of the total power generated by the three hydro-electricity generating dams domiciled in the state aside its statutory power allocation, Bello said that his administration wanted to tap from the vast natural endowments to meet the state’s electricity needs.
Bello expressed worries over the persistent blackout in Minna the state capital, which he said has led to the grounding both domestic and commercial activities including Medium and Small scale businesses from thriving.
On the present economic challenges in the state, Governor Bello advised Nigerians to embrace agriculture as part of economic diversification from monolithic crude oil.
The governor also expressed optimism that Nigeria would soon overcome its trying period.
The Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago, had informed the governor that they were at Government House on a traditional sallah homage and commended the role he played to douse tension generated by the recent communal clashes in Paikoro, Bosso and Rafi local government areas of the state.
While appealing to his subjects who were affected to forgive and forget for the sake of Allah and forge ahead in life, the Emir commended Governor Bello for constituting a judicial panel of inquiry to look into the remote cause(s) of the crises to avoid a repeat in the future.