NANS Tackle YEDC,Demands Urgent Restoration of Power, Fair Metering In Students Areas

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council (JCC), Taraba State Axis, has raised alarm over persistent electricity challenges affecting students in Jalingo, calling for urgent intervention by relevant authorities.

In a statement issued on Friday, the student body expressed deep concern over reports that in several student-populated areas within the metropolis, electricity meters are being shared by three to four different shops. According to NANS, the practice has resulted in excessive billing, disputes among occupants, and the collapse of some student-owned businesses.

The association called on the electricity distribution company operating in the area to clarify whether the sharing of a single meter by multiple independent shops is an approved policy. It insisted that if such an arrangement contravenes standard regulations, immediate corrective measures must be taken to ensure fair and separate metering for affected users.

NANS also decried the prolonged blackout in the Yagai area, where students of the Taraba State College of Nursing Sciences have reportedly been without electricity for over one month. The outage, it was gathered, followed an incident allegedly involving a community member who is not a student.

The student body noted that despite the area being largely inhabited by students, they have continued to endure the blackout, a situation it described as detrimental to their academic activities, businesses and overall welfare.

"The continued absence of electricity has made it difficult for students to study comfortably and function effectively," the statement said.

NANS therefore urged the relevant electricity authorities to immediately restore power supply to Yagai, review and correct the issue of multiple shops operating under a single meter, and engage student representatives to prevent further hardship.

It stressed that students remain critical stakeholders in the development of Taraba State and warned that their welfare should not be neglected. The association called for prompt and decisive action to address the issues without further delay.