Rural electrification: N1bn projects not connected, require maintenance
By Simon Echewofun Sunday (Abuja), Hope Abah Emmanuel (Makurdi), Hameed Oyegbade (Osogbo), Ibrahim Musa Giginyu (Kano), Haruna Gimba Yaya (Gombe), Eyo Charles (Calabar) & Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad (Lafia)
Residents of various rural communities in Gombe and seven other states have raised concerns over the non-connection and the lack of maintenance of rural electricity projects worth N1billion.
Daily Trust on Sunday obtained a document from the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in Abuja on 470 rural power projects captured in the 2017 budget. According to the document, most of the awarded projects, numbering 441 across the six geopolitical zones, were ‘completed as awarded’ while only 29 were ongoing or about to begin.
Analysis of the distribution of the project indicates that the North-Central region got the highest of 117 projects with most of them concentrated in Kogi State. While 12 projects were said to be ongoing, 105 were ‘completed.’
The South-South region got the highest of 85 projects, with most of them concentrated in Edo State. While eight projects were said to be ongoing, 77 projects were ‘completed.’
The North-West had 79 projects, of which Kaduna dominates with 29 of them. Three of the projects are ongoing, the REA project status report stated.
The South-East had 76 projects, with 28 in Abia State. It reported three to be ongoing projects.
There were 59 projects in the North-East, with Bauchi having the highest of 15 projects. Two projects were said to be ongoing.
Among the 54 projects in the South-West, Ondo and Ogun had 11 projects each, while one project was ongoing in Ondo State.
However, Daily Trust on Sunday did a random survey of 12 of the projects REA valued at N1 billion and tagged them as completed across eight States. The REA awarded the 12 projects at a contract cost of N992.3 million (about N1bn) to 10 contractors. However, at the time of filing this report, the agency said it had paid the contractors N934.9m while a balance of N57.4m is being held.
Our investigations further revealed that while the projects were delivered, most of them have not been connected to the national grid, while others, mainly solar streetlights, require maintenance.
Confirming these challenges, the REA in the Freedom of
Information (FoI) request response, confirmed that among the 12 randomly selected projects, seven, which were mostly offgrid solar projects, were fully completed and operational, but five others that require connection to the national grid have not been energised by Abuja, Jos, Port Harcourt and Enugu DisCos.
Solar streetlights in Kano villages in poor shape
The REA said it completed the execution of a survey and provision of solar power solutions at Dadin Kowa/Burumbum/ Faruruwa villages in Kano State. A visit to Faruruwa village, a few kilometres away from Tudun Wada Local Government secretariat, showed that the village is not connected to the national electricity grid and does not have any form of power supply.
Residents, however, said solar streetlights were installed six years ago, not in 2017. Malam Usman Garba said the streetlights installed, worked for about three years and have presently gone bad.
He said, “The solar streetlights were installed only on the village streets of Faruruwa, not in our houses, and we were told that it was a project from the Federal Government of Nigeria, brought to us by our representative at the National Assembly.
“However, the lights worked for almost three years, and as you can see, only the metal stands are visible because since their installation, no one has ever come here to repair or do anything to ensure its workability.”
This is similar in Burumburum village in Rano Local Government Area, where about 20 solar streetlights were installed nearly six years ago. However, just four were partially active when our correspondent visited, others were down without maintenance.
A resident, Malam Alasan Rabi’u, said the solar streetlights were never repaired since installation. “The solar streetlights were installed by government and we were told it was facilitated by our representative at the National Assembly. However, the streetlights have not been working,’’ he said.
At Sabon Gari market in Fagge Local Government Area within Kano metropolis, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo commissioned a solar power solution that serves over 12,000 shops under REA’s energising economies programme. The solution is managed by a company called ‘Resource Energy.’
Some of the users at the market said they were satisfied with the operation so far. “This is something we cherish as we are confident of getting power supply on the agreed period, that is from 10 am to 6 pm. An average subscriber is entitled to three bulbs, a socket and a fan for N1000 per week. For us, this is better than what we were used to with the neck breaking bills of electricity supply companies that don’t even give you the needed light,’’ Malam Aliyu Bello, a trader said.
Faulty REA project in Benue village, others
Residents of Akpoga-Mission, Ipole-Akpoga and Effoyo communities in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State were still basking in the euphoria of celebration barely a year after government’s intervention to end their electricity challenge when the light tripped off.
The projects were said to have been completed in 2018, but that of Mission went faulty shortly after. In the village, a leader of the Akpoga Ipole/Mission electricity project, Hyacinth Omoje said, “We hardly have at least four hours of uninterrupted power supply here in Akpoga.”
Our correspondent observed that the two communities, not quite three kilometres apart, have separate step-down transformers from the 33 kilovolts (kV) line, which supplies light for the area. While the transformer at Akpoga Ipole still supplies light, the one at Mission has left the locals in total darkness, without hope of when the electricity would be restored.
It was also gathered that there were no plans underway to address the challenges of epileptic power supply and power cut in the two Akpoga communities.
For Chief Paul Iduh, a retired warrant officer of the Nigerian Army, the feeling of happiness was overwhelming to have his community connected to electricity but for the irregular supply of the power.
Also, an electricity consumer, Onoja John, said, “I pay N1,000 per month, and that’s on the high side since it is just one bulb in use.”
Meanwhile, at Effoyo community in Okpokwu Local Government Area, the story is not different. They had their village connected to electricity by the REA project on mounting cables and erecting poles from the nearby grid power source. Now, the residents complain of load shedding (rationing) of power supply.
Benjamin Ebuka, a patent medicine seller in Effoyo said, “The light we have here cannot even charge anything, let alone boost the battery of a mobile phone. In spite of this abnormality, we pay bills every month.’’
In Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, it was found that the electrification in Opiah and Effium villages were executed. The project was on pole erection to connect the villages to electricity from the neighbouring community.
REA projects abandoned, vandalised in Cross River
The agency executed projects in two communities of Adiabo and Okurikang in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, but residents said they were abandoned and the installations vandalised.
Sources said the projects were awarded in 2016 and those behind it reported as having completed it. A traditional ruler in Okurikang community, HRH Etubom Ekong Esu Efa, said the project actually took off but was abandoned halfway, even though the status is that it has since been completed.
“I want the whole country to come and see this project. It has not been completed. It was abandoned as soon as the contractors began work. The electric poles were erected but no wiring.
“Now, many of the machines installed have been vandalised despite community efforts to protect them, they are eaten away by rust or decay,’’ he said
The surrounding communities do not enjoy the luxury of public electricity supply. However, Adiabo, where the Obong of Calabar hails and lives, enjoys power supply from a different public power source.
An official of the Cross River State Electrification Agency, who pleaded not to be named, said that initially, the state handled the survey aspect before some politicians came to hijack it.
“The state government was to handle the project up to a certain degree, while the Federal Government was to handle others and complete it. I would not know why it has not been completed,’’ he said.
One of the leaders of the