Outcry in Abuja Area Council As Accidents Cut Towns, Communities off Electricity
- Residents of the Federal Capital Territory are not happy with the current state of the power supply
- It was gathered that the power supply had been shut down in Kubwa, Dutse, Gwarinpa, Ushafa, Dawaki, and other areas
- Meanwhile, the Abuja Electric Distribution Company (AEDC) says a drunken driver who rammed into an electric poll caused the power shutdown
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FCT, Abuja - The power supply to the Bwari Area Council, covering Kubwa, Dutse, Gwarinpa, Ushafa, Dawaki, and other major towns of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has been shut down.
This follows an accident around the deadly Tipper Garage near AYM Shafa filling station in Dutse.
Source: Twitter
A source told Legit.ng that a drunken driver rammed into three electricity poles along the area, making power supply to the area council impossible.
For more than four days, residents of the towns mentioned above and communities have remained in darkness amid the fuel shortage in the nation's capital.
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Residents told Legit.ng that the power issue had lingered for many days, and as each day passed, monies were being lost.
Apart from the loss of cash among business people, food and other items stocked in their refrigerators have all been trashed.
Residents recount their ordeals over poor power supply
Lamenting the development, a resident of Pmagbe in Ushafa, identified as Mr Alex, said the situation was becoming unbecoming.
He said:
"The current situation is very sad. No matter what has gone wrong, it's sad to stay without power for four days. The AEDC should wake up and do something about the issue."
Another community leader, Otobo, wonders why Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) were foot-dragging over the matter, insisting that it's their responsibility to have the power issue sorted and on time.
Otobo said:
"They need to fix the power issue as quickly as possible. While we can't deny the fact that we are losing money to this development, AEDC too should realize that they are losing money. It's their duty to fix this on time."
AEDC reacts to issue of poor power supply
When Legit.ng reached out to the Bwari General Manager, AEDC, Engr Shola, he said the situation was caused by dangerous driving. According to him, a drunken driver ran into three polls around AYM Ushafa.
He said the man, who is currently in a coma at an undisclosed hospital, cannot afford to fix the damage even as he remains in a coma.
He said police had impounded the vehicle, and AEDC is working assiduously to fix the damaged poles.
He, however, said that there was an issue with logistics that would enable the company to move the new poles to the location of the incident. He assured our reporter that every effort is in place to restore power to the affected areas.
He also lamented that while efforts were in place to fix the damaged poles, another vehicle ran into the wires and dragged them, further complicating the situation.
Legit.ng had earlier reported that the Tipper garage axis is increasingly becoming a dead zone following the incessant accidents in that axis.
Over the weekend, fewer than four persons were killed when a truck failed its break and ran into people and vehicles.
Since this year, fewer than 30 people have been reportedly killed following different accidents in the area.
Abuja where AEDC claims ownership but residents buy electricity transformers, cables, poles, others
Meanwhile, residents of Abuja satellite town have expressed their agony over the operations of the Abuja Electric Distribution Company (AEDC).
Operations of the AEDC have been greeted with numerous criticism ranging from lack of proactiveness, lack of maintenance of residents' electric facilities, and bumper electric bills.
Some of the residents alleged that the electric distribution company claims ownership of transformers purchased by them and also leaves the maintenance responsibility to them.
Source: Legit.ng
Adoyi Ali Ali Adoyi is a prolific writer and a graduate of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State. Adoyi holds a B.A Theatre and Communications Arts. He has bagged many awards both in academics and in journalism. Some of the awards are 10 years Journalism Merit Award, Best graduating student (Dept) Most Outstanding student (Faculty), and others. Adoyi can be reached here: adoyi.ali@corp.legit.ng
Segun Adeyemi (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Segun Adeyemi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience as an active field reporter, editor, and editorial manager. He has had stints with Daily Trust newspaper, Daily Nigerian, and News Digest. He currently works as an editor for Legit.ng's current affairs and politics desk. He holds a degree in Mass Communication (Adekunle Ajasin University). He is a certified digital reporter by Reuters, AFP and the co-convener of the annual campus journalism awards. Email: segun.adeyemi@corp.legit.ng.
