By Aisha Isah Dahiru
Residents of 22 Bauchi communities connected to the national grid through the Burra Rural Electrification Project have expressed frustration over the government’s neglect in maintaining the project.
The communities are left without electricity and unable to benefit from its promises of economic improvement and better living standards.
The project, inaugurated on May 11, 2019, by former Bauchi State Governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, was designed to provide electricity to communities in Burra and Ningi Districts, including Dingis, Lumbu, Proja, Gamji, and others. However, years later, residents claim they’ve seen only sporadic power, rendering the project ineffective.
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Auwalu Adamu Burra, a businessman from Burra, shared his disappointment, saying, “Since the project was launched, we haven’t had power for more than two days in a row. Initially, we had electricity for a few hours each day, but now it’s completely unreliable.”
Adamu noted that frequent vandalism has left wires cut and stolen, with transformer oil and cables also missing.
Hamisu Adamu from Bingilabo village contrasted their situation with neighboring Kano communities, where villages receive steady power for up to 11 hours a day. “It feels like we’re abandoned by the Bauchi State Government when it comes to essential amenities,” he said.
Local activist Barrister Muhammad Shamsudden criticized the state government for ignoring Burra’s needs despite having representation in the State Assembly. “Local businesses are being crippled by the lack of power, which has halted economic growth in our region,” Shamsudden stated.
In Gamji community, businessman Bello Muhammad reported that he relies entirely on generators to keep his soft drinks business running. “The cost of fuel is eating into our profits, making it difficult to grow our businesses,” he said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Umar Ya’u Bashe from Bashe village, who lamented that reliable power remains elusive and that essential services like water, healthcare, and good roads are still lacking.
Attempts to reach local authorities for comment were unsuccessful, as the Executive Chairman of Ningi Local Government, Hon. Nasiru Zakari, declined to speak on the matter.
The ongoing neglect has left the communities waiting for action to bring their long-awaited electrification project back to life.
