"Provide Electricity for Us to Watch AFCON," Aba People Beg Power Company
- Residents of Aba have appealed to the state's power company to provide electricity for them to watch the AFCON final on Sunday, February 11
- The people said the power supply in recent weeks had been horrible and made them seek means from alternative sources
- Nigeria's Super Eagles would be playing Cote d'Ivoire's Elephants at Alassane Ouattara Stadium after they triumphed over South Africa in the semifinal
Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia state, has been buzzing with excitement as the Super Eagles of Nigeria prepare to face the host, Cote d’Ivoire, in the final of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Sunday.
However, many football enthusiasts in the city are worried about the poor power supply from Aba Power Limited (APL), which has prevented them from watching the previous matches of the tournament with public electricity.
Source: Twitter
Nigeria secured a spot in the final after defeating South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a thrilling penalty shootout on Wednesday, February 7.
The final match will be played at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire. The Super Eagles are aiming to win their fourth AFCON title, while the Elephants are seeking their third.
Football fans resort to alternative sources of power
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) spoke to some football fans in Aba on Thursday, who expressed their dissatisfaction with the power situation in the city, reported the Vanguard.
They said they had to rely on generators, solar panels, or other sources of power to watch the AFCON matches, as the APL had failed to provide adequate and stable electricity.
Bamidele Ayo, a football agent, said that public power and water were basic amenities that citizens should enjoy from the government, but in Nigeria, they had been privatised. He said he always used his solar power to watch matches at home for security reasons.
David Orji, the media manager of Enyimba International FC, a local football club, said that he watched the semifinal match against South Africa with his generator, despite the high cost of petrol. He said he did not trust APL to supply power for the final on Sunday, and he urged the company to improve its service.
APL urged to do the needful
Uche Maduako, a resident of Aba, said he was dismayed by his inability to watch the AFCON matches with public power. He appealed to APL to do the needful and ensure that people could watch the final with public electricity.
He also advised the Super Eagles to play with a strong attack and defence to ensure that they lifted the trophy for the fourth time.
Kelechi Makwe, a sportswear dealer, said that he was not going to depend on APL to watch the AFCON or any other match. He said that people needed electricity every day for various purposes, not only to watch football.
“We need electricity light every day to power our fridge, iron our clothes and other necessary things not only to watch AFCON,” he said.
Tinubu’s govt makes promise to Super Eagles after reaching final
Meanwhile, Legit.ng has earlier reported that the federal government has promised to reward the Super Eagles of Nigeria after the team reached the final of the AFCON 2023.
The Nigerian team secured a hard-fought victory in the semi-final match against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Wednesday, February 7.
After the match, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who graced the game, hailed the players and their officials in the dressing room.
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Source: Legit.ng
