By Our Correspondents
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, seems to top in poor electricity distribution going by the number of excuses it gives on power outage.
The Abuja Inquirer took a look at its social media handle and noted that it is filled with updates on power outage than any other milestone.
Since the beginning of May like in other months, it has been one reason or the other on why there is no power.
Starting from yesterday, Sunday May 12, 2024 backwards, here are some of the times the distribution company failed to deliver power to its customers especially in Abuja:
May 12: “This is to inform residents of Kuje Abuja: Premium Farms, Kuje Road, Kuje Township and environs, part of Kwali-Abaji Road, CKC Area and JZ Road, that th power outage currently being experienced is due to a technical fault on the feeder serving these areas.
“”Our dedicated engineering team is working tirelessly to rectify this fault and restore power supply as quickly as possible.”
May 11, the AEDC attributed the power outage in Gwarimpa Second Avenue and environs, Evelyn Event Centre and environs “to a fire outbreak at a substation serving the areas.”
On that same day, it claimed that the power outage in Central Business District was “due to suspected underground cable fault.”
On May 9, the distribution company attributed power outage in parts of Abuja and parts of Lafia to technical faults on feeder 11kv_B32_FDR4 and 33kv A2 feeder at Akurba Transmission Station, respectively.
Areas affected on feeder 11KV_B32_FDR4 included Wuse Zone 2, 3, 5, PDP Secretariat and its environs.
On the 33KV A2 feeder, Doma, Obi, Means, Awe axis and all the 11KV feeders in Lafia town were affected.
It was no different on May 8 as the AEDC announced that residents around NERC Headquarters, Army, Afri Hotels, Navy, Airforce Headquarters, War College, Unity Bank, Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, Garki Area 10, New Chelsea Hotel, Reiz Continental Hotels and its environs were experiencing power outage due to a technical fault on 33KV feeder 5 AT5.
Residents of Kuje Abuja: Premium Farms, Kuje Road, Kuje Township and environs, part of Kwali-Abaji Road, CKC Area and JZ Road, will on May 7 be told that the power outage in their areas was due to maintenance work on 33KV L31 Gwagwalada.
On May 6, the AEDC will inform residents around American Embassy, National Hospital and its environs that the power outage in their areas was due to technical faults on 33KV feeder H1 Apo.
Still on that day, residents around Wuye, Utako, Idu Industrial, Railway, EFCC and environs were informed that due to technical faults on switch yard affecting L34, L35 and L36 at Kukwaba TS.
The same scenario but this time affecting parts of Wuse and Mabushi on feeders 11KV_B32_FDR1 and 33KV was blamed on inclement weather.
The feeders provide light to Wuse General Hospital, Sky Memorial Complex, and environs, Wuse Zone 3, and parts of Zone 2 including PDP National Secretariat and environs, the entire Wuse 2 and Ministers’ Quarters in Mabushi.
Speaking on the poor distribution, Chidinma R. Okafor said, “Please I’m really confused about this new method of turning off power when it rains and not restoring it for more than 24 hours. The sad part is that rainy season hasn’t even started properly. Should we take this to mean that when rainy season really starts, we won’t have power at all?
“Please look into this. We haven’t had light in almost 24 hours around ICS, Utako.”
Everyman Eleanya noted that, “Zone 6 isn’t in your list, yet we’re in darkness, as usual, following the rainfall. The last outage a couple of days ago lasted for 3 days, with your men “working tirelessly”.
“Please how long will this one last, and for how long will this continue? We’re just at the onset of the rainy season and it’s like this, I wonder what will happen when we’re really into the rainy season.”
Another AEDC user, Awwal Mohammed, lamented that, “This is our 15 hours without power at Ziquinchor Street Wuse Zone 4 since yesterday rain. Is high time AEDC should be committed to their operations. It has been several years we are complaining on this issue and nothing happened. It is a pitty (sic).”
Worried by the country’s poor energy deliverable, the Federal Government on May 9 unveiled a Gazettes on National Energy Policy and National Energy Masterplan to address challenges affecting energy efficiency in Nigeria.
Unveiling the Energy gazette in Abuja, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, said the document which will serve as a platform to monitor the performance of energy sector in the implementation of government’s policies, will also power industries, enhance economic development and attract more investments.
According to him, the FG in pursuance of this target have floated two green bonds of $10.6 billion and $15 billion in the first and 2nd tranches, while the third tranche with a threshold of $50 billion targets projects with clear environmental benefits and promote the transition to low carbon and climate resilient growth.
“This no doubt opens additional investment initiatives under Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, where the bondholders, beneficiaries, suppliers, manufacturers and a host of other value chain activities generate enormous investment opportunities.”
