Electricity Situation: South East, neighbouring States wriggling in Darkness

While the proposed strike by the Electricity Workers Union was short lived because of quick intervention of the national Assembly among others, NewsTrack can confirm that South East as the time of filing this report is been wriggling in darkness.

Our checks confirm that while the entire Imo State is in darkness with business owners ruing in pain over the high cost of running power generating sets, it is as though the entire South East zone is suffering from a more worrisome technical problem than strike.

Speaking with Isaac Okereke from Umuchima, Ideato South, fuming in anger, he said the strike is not the issue in most part of Imo State. He decried how they have been deliberately plunged into darkness by their own brother, the former governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha. “In the name of false development, he removed all the electrification structures. For the past 8 years ‘our light’ has not been restored. What do we call this one?”, he queried.

It is the same fate in Enugu as the coal city known for its calmness and serenity is like a mad house with all manner of noises and emission of dangerous fumes from both healthy and unhealthy power generating sets.

Mr. Afam Okafor who spoke to our correspondent confirmed that they have not had even the faintest voltage since yesterday. “My brother, you can see that I have a container with which I am heading to a petrol station to buy fuel. I need to iron my clothes for work tomorrow. I understand that what is wrong with our electricity is beyond strike, otherwise it should have been restored since the strike has been called off,” he said.

The news in Anambra State is not different, except one person who confirmed that there was electricity in the morning in Umuahia, the capital city of Abia State, which did not last for 20 minutes. According to our correspondent, except street lights, the town is in darkness.

Speaking with a Public Servant in Asaba who simply gave his name as Felix, he said there has not been power anywhere in the capital city of Delta State. He however spoke hopefully that it will be restored.

For a medical doctor who owns a private hospital who prefers anonymous status, he said: “Lack of power is the reason we are having brain drain in this country. Can you imagine a country where over 70% of her population find it difficult to feed and you want to build into their bill the cost of burning a generator, the man will prefer to die in his home.

“We need to pursue this electricity problem to a logical conclusion. I was happy when I heard about President Buhari’s blue print but what have we achieved before 2022. Power is the nucleus of our development. My brother, it is not about strike. I am used to blackout in this part of Owerri. I hope something will be done because it affecting both quality of life and businesses.

Our effort to speak to one of the EEDC officers was unsuccessful as at the time of publishing this story.