Power Cut Leaves Kano Varsity in Quandary, Mulls Halt on Academic Activities

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

Academic Activities may be disrupted at the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology Wudil, Kano, as the management has been thrown into dilemma following power cut by the Kano Power Distribution Company (KEDCO).

Addressing journalists on the development,  Dean, Students Affairs, Professor Abdulkadir Dambazau, said the University authority was in a great shock, when the company disconnected the institution from the national grid.

He lamented that despite the down payment of N20 million out of the N60million debt, the company still went ahead to cut the power, a situation that thrown them in to confusion.

“Among the options  we have  include either shutting down the University, or asking students not to return to school after the end of second Semester break, or all students should bear the brunt’s of staying without lights.”

“We are left with these three options now, these are the main things we are forced to do, before we get intervention from many sources we want explore,” he stated.

According to him, the institution paid its entire monthly allocation of N20 million to KEDCO but, despite that, the company went ahead and disconnected the school.

Professor Dambazau, lamented how the power cut has plunged the school into serious water shortage since, they relied heavily on power to supply the water to the institution.

“Before they jack up the bill to N60 million monthly we were scouting to pay N16 million to N17 million monthly, and that we were getting power supply for 23 hours daily but, suddenly they said we must pay accumulated bill of N248 millions debt before they restore the light “

He added: “Our monthly upkeep from Government was only N17 million but thanks to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf who increased the money to N20 million which we paid to the company but, still they went ahead and disconnected us,” Professor Abdulkadir explained. He further explained that the university had to resort to temporary arrangements of installing solar panels to supply water to the campus before the resumption of the 28.000 students to the school.