The Kebbi Elders Consultative Forum (KECF), on Wednesday, intervened to prevent a protest over the unstable power supply in Birnin Kebbi and its environs.

The planned protest was averted after a meeting between the elders and officials of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDCO) in Birnin Kebbi.

The Vice Chairman of the forum, Sulaiman Muhammad-Ambursa, said the forum engaged KAEDCO following numerous complaints from residents over poor electricity supply in the state.

“We wrote to the company and agreed on ways to improve power supply in the state. During our meeting, we discovered some lapses on the part of KAEDCO,” Mr Muhammad-Ambursa said.

He also said that the 7.5 KVA transformers currently serving Birnin Kebbi were being overstretched and could no longer sustain the electricity demand in the area.

“The existing transformers are overpowered by the number of customers. We advised KAEDCO to install 15 KVA transformers before the commencement of the fasting period to improve power supply,” he said.

Mr Muhammad-Ambursa urged customers to always pay their electricity bills promptly and ensure payments were made to authorised KAEDCO offices rather than casual staff members.

“Customers must obtain valid receipts after payment to avoid issues. Many of the staff members in KAEDCO are casual workers, who also contribute to inefficiency,” he said.

Mr Muhammad-Ambursa blamed the vandalism of power installations on the disengagement of trained technical staff by the company.

“When you sack trained personnel without pension or gratuity, some may resort to vandalising the power installations to survive. We have advised them to desist, and we also urge communities to protect the installations in their areas,” he said.

Mr Muhammad-Ambursa commended KAEDCO and members of the forum for their efforts towards resolving the misunderstanding between the company and its customers.

“We urge residents to remain calm and go about their normal business peacefully,” he said.

Also speaking, the regional manager of KAEDCO, Makinu Sani, assured customers of improved electricity supply in the state.

Mr Sani appealed to them to ensure regular payment of their bills to enable the company to sustain improved services.

(NAN)