By Rebecca Caleb Maina
Residents of Gombe State, Nigeria, are grappling with hardships brought on by fuel scarcity and power outages, making daily life even more challenging.These challenges have cast a shadow over daily life and underscore the urgent need for innovative solutions to alleviate the hardships faced by residents.
The fuel scarcity for instance has led to long queues at petrol stations, causing difficulties in fueling vehicles and generators.
Black marketers are having a field day with arbitrary increase in fuel prices, claiming they bought the commodity at high costs and had to endure hours of queuing before obtaining it. This scarcity has disrupted businesses and life routines, leading to widespread frustration.
The situation is further aggravated by the vandalisation of four power supply towers along Bauchi Gombe axis resulting in frequent power outages that left homes and businesses without electricity. This has affected essential services and exacerbated the challenges faced by the population. Small businesses are particularly hard-hit, incurring additional costs due to these power cuts.
For those with low incomes, the difficulties are compounded, as they struggle to access basic necessities like water. The usual honking made by water tankers announcing the availability of water for purchase has ceased. Simple tasks, such as waiting to grind grains or dealing with low phone batteries, have become more complex. Transportation has also been affected, as there are fewer commercial vehicles, keke Napep, or okada operating due to high cost of fuel.
However, Despite these challenges, the people of Gombe State have shown resilience and are adapting to the situation. Families conserve fuel for essential uses, while some have resorted charcoal as alternative cooking energy and businesses explore alternative power sources like solar energy.
The government and community leaders are actively working to address these issues. Immediate actions, such as restoring power at the Dadinkowa water treatment plant under the direction of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, is being carried out to restore normalcy in water supply.
Efforts are also being made by the power sector to repair the vandalised power towers to restore electricity supply.
Although the challenges remain significant, the people of Gombe State seem determined to overcome them by cooperating and employing innovative solutions, striving to build a stronger and more resilient community for the future.
In times of this difficulty, Religious Leaders are advising and encouraging residents to seek solace in their faith and maintain hope through prayer.
