By Dawud Ahmed in Lokoja.
Photo credit: Facebook.
Electricity consumers in Lokoja, Kogi State, north central Nigeria, on Friday bemoan power outage with a call on the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, to match the recent increased electricity tariff with constant power supply.
Many consumers,who made the call in a separate interview with our correspondent in Lokoja, described the power failures in Lokoja and its environs as getting out of control.
The consumers, especially those residing at Gadumo quarters of Lokoja,who claimed that they have been feeling the effects of the prolonged power outage more, said the recent over 300 per cent increase in electricity tariff should have come with improved power supply.
Relating her experience with the current power outage, Mrs .Amina Mohammed, a resident of Gadumo quarters, said:” I dare not keep any fresh foods in the fridge any more since this prolonged energy problem started in Lokoja as they will go rotten.
Another house wife, Hajia Khadija Umar of Col.Anebo Housing estate, within the viccity of Gadumo quarters,who also decried the prolonged black outage, described her experience in the face of the energy challenge as simply imagined than said.
She said:”With the extreme heat in Lokoja, it is expected that AEDC will give us constant power supply to power our cooling systems such as air conditioners, fans and refrigerators to check the effect of the hot weather
“However, this is not to be as we continue to experience power outage with all the negative effects to our social and economic activities as well as public health.
“We can longer sleep in the comfort of our rooms in the night as no public light to activate fans and air indoors to ease the effects of heat.
“The company will bring light for say, about one hour or so and take it for several hours and in some instances, one or two days without any blink of light.
“Therefore , the power outage has made life almost becoming unbearable for us and our families to say it mildly.”
“Authorities of AEDC should please do the needful to safe us from this energy quagmire,”
“I don’t understand this power issue anymore
*The Generator that I didn’t use for long.
“The best thing is solar installation. Consider it especially if you are in your personal house,”Hajia Maimuna Bashir,a resident of phase one told our correspondent.
The Reporters notes that as at the time of this report at 7.27 p m on Friday,AEDC had returned light to Gadumo quarters and other areas of the state capital,after many hours of black out.
According to energy information on Google page, the Nigerian Electricity Commission (NERC),last week,approved an increase in the rate paid per Kwh of electricity from about N66 to N225 for the various distribution companies (DisCos) in the country.
Though NERC said the increase was meant for electricity consumers on Band A, energy analysts believe it represents over 300 per cent.
The power outage, however,does not affect consumers on 33kva line from Ajaokuta as they enjoy constant power supply as at the time of this report.
Our correspondent reports that feelers from the office of AEDC indicate that the power outage is to a large extend as a result of short supply of gas to the company.
A reliable source at the AEDC office in Lokoja,who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity,also traced the current energy problem in Lokoja and its environs to many other factors besides shortage of gas.as being experienced elsewhere in the country.
He said there could be faults at power stations, damage to electric transmission lines, substations or other parts of the distribution system, as well as short circuit.
Other causes of power failures,he added, are cascading failure, fuse or circuit breaker operation among others.
The Reporters recalls that, Last week, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission announced an increase in the electricity tariff by over 300 per cent for Band A consumers.
