By Moses Patience Chat
The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) and other residents of Mairi Kuwait Community in Maiduguri, Borno State have been thrown into darkness due to power outage, which has been linked to payment dispute with the Yola Electricity Distribution Company(YEDC).
The School Registrar, Ahmad Lawan, disclosed this in a release titled, “Disconnection of power supply by the Yola Electricity Distribution Company,” which was issued to journalists on Wednesday.
Valuechain learnt that the power outage has also affected the supply of water to the University’s students and other residents in the area.
Students in the University have also started raising concerns over the negative effect the situation could bring on their performance in their forthcoming examinations.
Information gathered also revealed that, while Mairi Kuwait community where the school is located has been witnessing power outage for over two months, the blackout on the campus itself had lasted for only three weeks.
Students have resulted to paying about N200 to N500 daily just to charge their phones and other electronic devices.
According to Esther, a student from Mass Communication Department in UNIMAID, the power outage has affected the water supply too. If the taps cannot provide water due to power supply issues, we buy from wheelbarrow hawkers. This has become an additional burden on the student.
“Those in the community also buy water from hawkers and since this water scarcity started, the usual reading at night has become an issue as our examinations are a few weeks away. We need those responsible to come to our aid,” she said.
The Registrar assured the students and staff that the University was working hard to resolve all issues and that “while the University management expresses regret and displeasure over the action of YEDC, it urges staff and students to patiently bear with the situation as efforts are being made to resolve the matter.”