Sokoto Generates ‘Political Electricity’

 quirky confrontation between Governor Aliyu Wamakko and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) over negative service delivery pulls in the electricity union, strike threats and judicial intervention – a scenario generating more political electricity than useful light. LOUIS ACHI reports

Living up to its reputation as the sedate capital of the Caliphal North, Sokoto State remains a  model of moderation, progressive politics and a centre of calm even as Northern Nigeria is being seared by the most unprecedented socio-political and security challenges in the region’s history. Leveraging on mature political leadership, the state mirrors the possibility of a new north, anchored on justice, fair play and enduring faith in the Nigerian project. But something of a minor spanner in the works is playing out currently.

As the confrontation between a justifiably miffed Governor AliyuWamakko of Sokoto State with a top official of thePower Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in the state over alleged financial malfeasance was boiling over, the state Chief Judge, Justice A’ishatDahiru, on Monday moved into the fray, restraining the electricity agency from disrupting power supply to any premises within the state.

The court order followed an ex-parte motion filed by the state government, challenging the PHCN over a blackout of the state by the company over an alleged assault on its staff by Wamakko. The governor had since dismissed the allegation as lacking substance – with good reason.

The state government had prayed the court to make an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the first defendant (PHCN), its agents and or privies, from disrupting the generation, transmission and sale of electricity to consumers in the state.

Other reliefs sought included an order of mandatory injunction, directing PHCN and its agents to continue to maintain electricity transmission lines and apparatus throughout the state.The plaintiff also urged the court to give a perpetual injunction restraining the second defendant, National Union of Electricity Employees, from taking any action to disrupt the generation, transmission, supply and sale of electricity to consumers.

Further,the government urged the court to grant an injunction against the first and the second defendants, from interfering with the generation, transmission and sale of electricity to any premises owned or controlled by the executive, legislature or judiciary of state government.Ruling on the motion in her chamber, the chief judge upheld that PHCN and its staff lackedthe right to disrupt electricity supply in the state.

“The first and the second defendants are hereby restrained from taking any action or steps capable of disrupting or interfering with the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to any premises owned by the state government and people of the state.’’ She said the order was pending the hearing of a motion on notice which was fixed for November 12.

According to counsel to the state government, Mr. Jacob Ochidi,shortly after the ruling, in addition to the substantive suit, there were two motions, an ex-parte and motion on notice, clarifying that the Judge only heard arguments on motion exparte and granted the prayers.

The defendants, according to him, would be served accordingly and failure to comply, the state government would seek remedial orders.PHCN allegedly disconnected electricity in all public places in the state following an alleged misunderstanding between the governor and an employee of the company. But there is a background to the unfolding saga.

According toMohammed Adamu, the Acting Managing Director of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), a subsidiary of PHCN, a PHCN manager was summoned by Governor Wamakko, queried for failing to supply electricity to his community, Wamakko Council of the state and subsequently allegedly assaulted.

In Adamu’s words: “On Saturday, October 20, 2012, an unusual and unfortunate event took place which was beyond our comprehension. On the said date, our business manager, Gwiwa Business Unit, Sokoto State, Moses Osigwe, was invited by the governor of the state, AliyuMagatarkadaWamakko, to his personal residence, over the issue of lack of power supply to his hometown, Wamakko, as a result of a failed 2.5MVA transformer. He accused our staff of deliberately denying his community power supply. As the business manager was trying to explain to him, the governor just brought out a horse whip (popularly known as bulala in Hausa language) and lashed him to a pulp.”

But the governor would have none of that. According to MalamSani Umar, Wamakko’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, PHCN’s allegations were spurious and mischievous, adding that it was meant to bring the state government into disrepute. Further according to him, the governor had early this year, released N17 million to PHCN in the state to provide 2.5 MVA transformer in order to boost power supply in Wamakko Council.

He explained that the people of the area have remained in total darkness for over one year, despite assurances by PHCN that power would be restored. Umar clarified that PHCN officials had been summoned several times by the governor but failed to restore power to the area, explaining that the governor had summoned the PHCN Business Managers of Gwiwa and Marina, in respect to the matter but later handed them over to security operatives for further interrogation, when they failed to give concrete reasons why electricity was not restored in his council.

According to Umar, “As you are aware, the people of Wamakko council had suffered for over one year because of lack of electricity. So, the governor gave PHCN N17 million to install a new transformer so as to restore power supply in the area.

But to his utmost surprise, nothing was done and that is why he summoned the Business Managers and after the meeting he handed them over to security for further interrogation.So, it is laughable for the PHCN staff to claim that they were beaten mercilessly by the governor and handed them over to his personal security for further torture, as there is no iota of truth in the allegation.”

Notes Musa Garba, a public affairs analyst, “For more than a decade now the entire staff of PHCN in Sokoto have lived in a bubble; living large off the proceeds of a hatched scam which keep them smiling to the bank on a regular basis. And to say that this scheme has the blessing and tacit endorsement of the Divisional Heads of the organisation is an understatement. In Sokoto, the PHCN is worse than the police in terms of organised corruption.

“That probably explains why the Kaduna regional office quickly rose to the defence of the division in its time of travail. Knowing Nigeria and the various gangs that operate public utilities, one would not need to be a rocket scientist to know that the proceeds from the crime is shared with all the officers in the organisation including perhaps the boss in Kaduna, DanjumaMuhammed, who rushed to the media to blackmail the governor on what is, without doubt, a deal gone awry.”

Clearly, human civilizations are power-driven. Over time, the discovery and domestication of electricity, the most popular energy source on the planet for powering domestic and business processes has proven its indispensability to societal progress and overall national development. It’s then little wonder that back home in Nigeria, the sheer passion and debate which new policy positions by government on the electricity sector customarily provoke considerable debate.

In Sokoto, the deficits in electricity supply clearly boiled over as Governor Wamakko whose electoral promises to his people appeared to have been threatened by the familiar intrigues of PHCN. This scenario apparently puts in context the controversy surrounding PHCN’s current face-off with the Sokoto State government.