The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has threatened that there is no going back on the planned demolition of over 1000 illegal buildings and structures on power high tensions in Kano.

This was just as the company denied that houses earmarked for demolition were over 20,000, insisting that from Danagundi to Kumbosto power substations the houses and uncompleted buildings marked were not more than 1000.

Disclosing this on Friday, while briefing pressmen in Kano, the TCN Assistant General Manager, Subregion, Alhaji Muhammad Kamaru Bello, said that the State has only a single line that supplies energy to Kano from Kaduna and was installed in the last 50 years.

"Most of their rights of way were encroached upon, and this is even after paying N1.5 billion compensation while Kano paid N500 million on DanAgundi to Rimin Zakara substation.

“Let me remind those who are insisting that we must pay compensation before they vacate their places, that TCN doesn’t pay compensation twice, we paid before and on DanAgundi to Rimin Zakara substations we paid N1.5 billion while Kano paid N500 million, so what are they talking about?" he said.

According to him, “DanAgundi Substation was built 50 years ago on 80 megawatts capacity but today it is operating more than 280 megawatts and that is why they are reconducting the whole place to meet the desired capacity."

He hinted that every other contractual obligation was fully completed and in the next few days the reconstruction works on the second power lines to Kano from Kaduna will commence, insisting there would be no going back on that.

He said, “today in the whole of Nigeria, Kano is the only state that is having issues with full power supply and this is because all the existing power lines were built in the last 50-60 years and are so old and need urgent removal and reconstruction.

“When this project is completed the works would benefit Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, and some parts of Bauchi,” he added. (Tribune)

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