Residents of the Ologo, Coal Camp and Uwani areas of Enugu metropolis have decried persistent power outages in the area spanning over one week and appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid.

A cross-section of the residents in Enugu on Tuesday called for Governor Peter Mbah’s intervention to restore power supply to the area.

They said that lack of power supply was affecting their businesses, households and means of livelihood.

The MainPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MPECL) on August 4 issued a statement blaming the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) for the development.

According to the company, the reduction followed the decision by the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) to slash the electricity tariff for Band A from N209 per kWh to N160 per kWh.

Since the directive came into effect on August 1, electricity consumers in Bands B to E have been thrown into darkness in parts of the city, crippling many economic activities.

A welder at the Mechanic Shop in Coal Camp, Obum Chijioke, said that he spent a lot of money on fuel to do his job, adding that he went home empty-handed.

He said, “It has not been easy for us in the past week, as we spend the little we make on fuel.”

Mr Chijioke appealed to the relevant authorities to look into the problem urgently and restore the energy.

A cleric in a church on Zik Avenue, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the church had been using diesel for its activities, including services, and it was taking a toll on them.

“We spend between N25,000 and N30,000 on diesel daily for our activities, and it is not easy at all,” he said.

A retail shop operator, Chika Alejim, decried the situation, saying that it had affected her business.

She said she had not been able to freeze her drinks and sachet water, which were the mainstay of her business.

According to her, the business was no longer booming, unlike before, thereby affecting her profits and incurring more expenses.

“I buy fuel for ₦20,000 daily; I spend ₦10,000 on fuel in the morning and another ₦10,000 at night, and all these expenses eat deep into my profits. Also, the ice fish and meat, which I sell to support the provision store, got spoilt due to the power outage,” she said.

In the same vein, Charles Ako, a business centre operator, said that he could no longer cope with the huge cost of keeping the centre functional.

“I have stopped those undergoing computer training due to lack of electricity. I use the little fuel I have to do photocopying and printing when a customer comes. I don’t know when the power issue will be sorted out; I am appealing to those concerned to help Enugu people because we are suffering,” he said.

Also speaking, a housewife, Ukamaka Ugwu, described the effect of lack of power supply as serious, saying that it had pushed up the family’s daily expenses.

She said she had stopped cooking in large quantities because there was no electricity to preserve the food.

“I now cook every two days, thereby incurring extra expenses. Not only this, but we find it difficult to charge our phones and torches and even see at night. Government should help us because it is getting out of hand,” she said

Meanwhile, EERC, in a statement on August 10, said steps were being taken to resolve the power shortage.

The commission stated that it met with both EEDC and MainPower in a bid to restore normalcy. 

(NAN)