By Pita Chib, Minna 

  Villages close to Shiroro hydro electric dam project are protesting poor power supply to their residents with over hundred prostesters  Wednesday blocking  Shakwuta - Shiroro road over inability of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC to provide them with electricity for more than two weeks.

 The villages include  Sarkin- Pawa, Erena, Shakwatu, Zumba, Mutumdaya among others.

 The protesters were said to have blocked road obstructing free flow of traffic, they were also chanting war songs.

 They decried the inability of the AEDC to supply them electricity for more than two weeks despite their proximity to the source of energy.

 They were also opposed to the  increase in their monthly bill from N1000 to N1500 despite lack of electricity.

 It was learnt that at a point during the demonstration and  before they got to Shiroro dam armed soldiers were invited by yet unknown people to disperse the demonstrators but they were said to have been adamant.

 An eyewitness said the demonstrators laid on the road asking the soldiers to shoot them forcing the soldiers to embark on a retreat.

 For the second day running the Youth lead Nigeria a Non Governmental Organisation had also embarked on " a sit out" at the Niger state headquarters of the AEDC in Minna.

 The youths stopped the staff from going or coming out of the premises.

 Coordinator of the group Mohammed Etsu, said they embarked on the action because the AEDC reneged on the agreement to give 12 hours supply of electricity to the state daily.

 An official of the AEDC blamed the drop in electricity supply to three hours daily to a shortfall in supply from the national grid.

 The official who craved anonymity said the state now gets 29 megawatts daily as against 100 megawatts they got before.

  Etsu described the claim as false saying that AEDC " is deliberately refusing to buy energy".

 The State Commissioner of Police Mr Paul Yakadi, had stepped into the matter but as at press time had not been able to convince the youth to stop their action.