Epileptic power supply: Residents, business owners lament

•We pay in local shops to charge our phones, other devices, says residents as electricity supply becomes more epileptic

Continued from last week

By Oluseye Ojo (Ibadan), Timothy Olanrewaju (Maiduguri), Laide Raheem (Abeokuta),** Jude Owuamanam, Ola Muhammad **(Birnin Kebbi), **Femi Folaranmi **(Yenagoa), Scholastica Hir (Makurdi)

Following last week’s report on the pains and agony of Nigerians over worsening electricity supply, which is at variance with the claims made by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, on regular supply, more reactions from across the country have come in, indicating that the situation is indeed, more dire in some parts of the country.

Businesses are crumbling while mobile devices, electronic and electrical materials in homes and offices are lying fallow where there are no alternatives to public power supply. Yet, the government has no clear roadmap on how to deliver regular electricity supply in the country.

Oyo:** Relief in Ibadan, blackout in Oke-Ogun**

The electricity situation in Oyo State remains a tale of two realities, with residents of some parts of Ibadan enjoying improved supply, while communities in parts of Oke-Ogun continue to grapple with erratic supply or prolonged blackouts.

Checks by Saturday Sun showed that residents in some Ibadan communities are indeed experiencing significant improvement. In Akobo, Ibadan, Mr. Sunday Eze, said he had not switched on his generator for more than three months because of improved electricity supply. Also, a civil servant, living at Gbopa in the Ologuneru area of Eleyele, Biodun Tilola, stated that power was mostly available at night.

“I am not always at home in the afternoon. But light would always come around 10 p.m. and be available till 5 a.m. At weekends, however, we have light at night, not in the afternoon,” he said.

At Idi-Ayunre, the headquarters of Oluyole Local Government Area, a resident, Mr. Moses Keji, said the community had enjoyed constant supply for about two weeks after months of blackout.

“For the past two weeks, we have been having constant light,” he said.

He explained that the community had been without electricity from April until late September before regular power was restored to the area after one of the electric cables, which was stolen in April, this year, was replaced.

A resident of Apete, Ibadan, a community densely populated by students of The Polytechnic Ibadan, Remi Oladoye, also said: “Power supply to Apete has improved significantly. At least we have 18 to 20 hours electricity daily. Before now, we used to be without electricity for days and weeks.”

But findings in Oke-Ogun revealed a mixed picture. In Iseyin, communities around the Barracks area, where a 33kV step-down station is located, some residents said they enjoy regular supply.

“Communities between Barracks and AGIP have constant power supply. But from Aseyin Palace, including the main town, electricity is not regular,” Alli Abiodun, a resident said.

However, residents of Komu, Babaode and Igbojaye in Itesiwaju Local Government Area have also complained of prolonged blackout, citing its impact on businesses, education and security.

In Borno, we pay to charge our mobile devices in local shops

Power supply in Borno has not improved over time despite government claim of increasing electricity supply, residents have said. Some consumers said they rely mostly on solar power as the alternative source of energy due to frequent blackouts.

“We hardly get electricity running in our area for long. Sometimes, we have light for two or three hours once or twice in a week in our area. The situation has been like this for about two years,” Ishaku Ibrahim, a resident of the Bulumkutu area of the city told ***Saturday Sun. ***

He said the poor power supply compelled him and many in the neighbourhood who cannot afford to fix solar power system in their homes to frequently run to a local shop to charge their mobile phones and other chargeable appliances at a cost.

The 32MW Maiduguri Gas Plant commissioned in March 2023 by the late President Mohammadu Buhari, was built to supply electricity to parts of Maiduguri and increase generation and supply. Some residents maintained neither the intervention nor the Federal Government reported investment in the power sector has produced enough electricity to meet their needs.

Malam Ali Goni, a trader and ice block producers said electricity supply in the city is poor. “Nothing has really changed from previous suppliers,” he declared. He believes the Gas Plant ought to have pushed up electricity supply in the capital. The situation in the major towns in Borno is not also better.

Aminu Balami operates a business centre in Biu, the second largest town in Borno, decried the poor power supply, adding that the town experienced improvement in supply early August.

Ogun:** Eelectricity supply more epileptic than ever**

Electricity supply has become more epileptic in Ogun State, particularly in Abeokuta metropolis. Communities on Band-A power lines enjoy more electricity supply, others who are categorised under other bands have been complaining about poor electricity supply in their areas. While some entrepreneurs have been negatively affected by this situation, some have installed solar inverter systems to keep their business going. With the high cost of petrol and diesel, consumers have been forced to bear the brunt of the poor power supply.

Commenting on the statement credited to the Minister of Power, a frozen food seller in Adigbe, along Panske-Obada Road in Abeokuta, Mrs. Juliet Adelanwa, lamented poor supply of electricity for the past few months. She said the situation was taking a serious toll on her business and she resorted to a solar inverter to power her deep freezers.

Adelanwa said she purchased the inverter through her cooperative society, adding that the claim by the minister that there was adequate electricity supply was not only a farce, but an insult to Nigerians like herself.

The situation became precarious recently when there was a total blackout in most of the state capital for five days. Power was partially restored across the metropolis.

Olumide Afeni, a hotel owner in the Ijeja area of Abeokuta said electricity supply to his location has become a luxury. He said Ijeja was one of the communities that were enjoying relatively stable electricity supply before the categorisation of power consumers on a band basis.

A facility manager at one of the event centres very close to the headquarters of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in Abeokuta, Adeola Omowunmi, told Saturday Sun that until recently, the event centre on Band-A enjoyed stable electricity supply. Omowunmi, who lamented that the recent power outage impacted negatively on business as the event had to purchase diesel to power the generating sets for events.

Erratic power supply persists in Jos

In Jos, residents get power supply from two sources: the Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) Plc and the Nigeria Electricity Supply Company (NESCO), which is a private power distribution company. While JED gets its supply from the national grid, NESCO generates its own electricity from its plant at Kurra hydro dams. It was licensed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as an Independent Distribution Network with its own lower Tariff.

An official of NESCO told our correspondent that since it has a little grid backup, it doesn’t pay full Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN / GenCo market price. He said correspondent that the company does not cover the whole of Jos, but supplies residential customers in Bukuru, Vom and parts of Jos South local government area of the state, which is nearer to its generating plant Kurra Falls, while JED supplies electricity to Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe through the national grid. Most of the respondents who spoke to our correspondent, expressed disappointment at the level of power supply from JED.

Michael James, who operates an eatery in Jos, said that though he was supposed to be in Band A, he hardly gets three hour supply in a day. According to him, he buys his ingredients in larger quantities and keeps them in the refrigerator, but sometimes some of the items get spoilt in a matter of days.

He said, “For me here, the power supply has been epileptic. Apart from the fact that they said I am in Band A, I rarely get up to four hour supply in a day. At times, during the weekends, it’s less.” A resident of Bukuru, who operates a food refrigeration outfit, told our correspondent that he took advantage of the two supply lines. According to him, he switches from one to the other, depending on which has power supply at any point in time.

In Jos metropolis, it’s a mixed bag. While some areas experience longer hours of power supply, others experience less depending on which transformer they’re connected to.

In Jos North, some consumers on band A, Tafawa Balewa transformer, which supplies power to Our Lady of Apostles Hospital and the Bingham University Teaching Hospital, told our correspondent that electricity supplies go up to 15 hours daily, but with intermittent disruptions. However nearby Apata, which is on Band C and on Alikazaure/Apata transformer gets less than four hours supply daily. A resident of Apata, who operates a shoe making factory, said that he often supports his business with a generator but because of the high price of petrol, his business has been slowed down.

Joshua, a printer along Tafawa Balewa road, in Jos metropolis, told our correspondent that the nature of his business requires constant electricity. He said, “In Plateau, NESCO is cheaper than JED – if you are lucky to be in NESCO’s network. But NESCO is far and the cost of connectivity higher. But we are lucky to get more supply because we are close to OLA Hospital and Jankwano.

**No respite in Kebbi **

In Kebbi State, power supply has been erratic due to ability of the Kahuna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) to provide stable power supply across the state. Few weeks ago, eruption at Kanji Hydropower station worsened the situation in the state as many consumers are now installing solar system. A resident of Alieru quarters, Birnin Kebbi, Mallam Haruna Aliyu said only customers on dedicated lines and those on Band A are really enjoying power supply.

“Power supply in Kebbi state is unstable since before the fall of the towers. The only people in Kebbi State who enjoys up to 20 hours of electricity are those on Band A and those in dedicated lines.

“In our area, it is fair because we are already metered. So we enjoy a little above those on direct billing. Generally, across the state the power supply is poor except like I said earlier Band A and dedicated lines are enjoying power supply.”

Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, a resident of Central Market area, Birnin Kebbi explained that the power supply in the area has deteriorated.

“The true situation of the electricity in our area has deteriorated from being largely epileptic to a full-fledged crisis.

“As a result, we barely get three hours of electricity during the day, while at night, we only occasionally witness two to three hours of power. “The reasons behind the minister’s reported claims are best known to him. It could be a political gimmick to sway gullible minds to vote for the party he is campaigning for.

“My only consolation is that, now that I have a prepaid meter, I no longer have to buy darkness with my hard-earned money.”

Also, Malam Umar Faruk and electricity consumer in Badariya area, Birnin Kebbi, a cood- room operator along Badariya area, lamented that power supply in the area had been erratic. He explained that power supply has not been stable enough to freeze anything solid for long. “For the past two months, we get light for one or two hours in a day, mostly in the night. Sometimes we stay two days without light. How will freezer freeze everything? We are spending more on fuel for generator,” he said.

“If there is light for 8 hours, my ice block will form well. But now, light will come by 12 a.m. and go by 2 a.m. My freezer cannot make ice block. I have to buy ice from other people,” he lamented.

Many traders along Bello way, Birnin Kebbi, Rima Road as well as Haliru Abdu Stadium roads have resulted to installation of solar to power their fridges and using it to light their shops in the night. Mallam Hussain Kalgo, who has a shop along Stadium road, explained that they only using solar in the light stressed that power supply from KEDCO do come for two to three hours in a day.

IPP brings relief to Bayelsa

The 60-megawatt (MW) gas turbine has breathed fresh air into homes and businesses in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital. Since the Independent Power Plant (IPP) came on stream in Bayelsa State, powering homes in Yenagoa, residents have waved goodbye to the endless anxiety associated with the collapse of the national grid.

While some areas are yet to be connected to the gas turbine, 70 per cent of areas in Yenagoa have been connected and are enjoying a constant supply of electricity.

At Opolo, where residents are on Band A, they are very appreciative of the constant supply of electricity. Miss Tari Beimo, who operates a mini supermarket, stated that the gas turbine has helped in cutting operational costs.

“Before we were connected to the gas turbine, I used to buy fuel every day to power my deep freezer so that I could have cold drinks and water. With the high cost of fuel, I tried to manage the fuel, but the expenses on fuel were killing my business. Last month, my area was connected to the gas turbine, and I can tell you that the difference is clear.

“I don’t even know where my jerry can is because I have no reason to buy fuel. I make sure I switch off my freezer when closing because, with the constant light, the bottles could be damaged when they are frozen.”

Ngonabo Desiye said the use of gas turbine as the source of power has a tremendous effect on nightlife in Yenagoa.

“Nightlife was at the brink of collapse in Yenagoa due to the poor electricity supply. Many bars could not meet up due to the operating cost of chilling their drinks to attract customers. Those that were able to chill drinks charged exorbitant prices, thereby discouraging many from drinking as much as they would have loved to.”

Minister’s claim at variance with situation in Benue

Residents of Makurdi the Benue State capital are divided over the claims by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe who stated recently that some electricity consumers asked him to “slow down” improvements to electric power supply because their freezers were working continuously and freezing everything solid.

While those on Band A acknowledged having some degree of improved electricity supply, those on Band B said the electricity situation in their area has not improved.

A resident of Makurdi town, Miss Dorathy Aninge told Saturday Sun that “Light around my area has not been stable. There are times we go almost a week without light and when the transformer gets bad, we have to rally round the community to fix it because Jos Distribution Company (JEDC) would not listen to us as it concerns transformer.”

She cited a close by community called Idye village where residents have not had light for almost two years due to transformer break down and nobody is saying anything about fixing it or getting a new one for them.

“So the issue of having steady electricity in Makurdi is not true as different areas have issues when it comes to having steady electricity,” she said. Also, Mrs Joy Odama who resides in Nyon Area of Makurdi has also debunked the claims saying though they no longer go for one week without light but “we don’t have that kind of light he is describing.

“We cook food most times and can’t refrigerate because there is no light, we go to the cafe and can’t print anything, we go to the saloon and won’t see light to dry out hair when we wash our hair. So we don’t understand whether he is talking about light situation in Nigeria or in another country.”

Mr Peter Alom, who runs a cafe and printing press around Low Level area of Makurdi said “We can’t relate to what the minister is saying. As you can see and here now, I’m using generator and it has been like that for a long time. The situation has not improved.

“The Band A and Band B thing rather divided the country into what seems like the rich and poor. While those on A have light, we on Band B look like the poor, without light. That is not right.” He urged the federal government to fulfill their promises on power supply and stop paying lip service to their responsibilities.

On the contrary, Mr. Vande Acka, who resides in the High Level areas said he is enjoying improved light supply but that they are paying way high tariff for it. He state that N10,000 which usually takes them for three weeks to one month in the past can hardly last for two weeks.

Also speaking, Mrs Mimi Tion and Maureen Ike be said they live along areas on Band A and has been enjoying improved light supply.

The residents unanimously urged the federal government to make access to light uniform saying it is everyone’s right to enjoy power supply.

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