Business activities around the Dutse to Bwari axis of the Federal Capital Territory, have been grounded following the prolong power outage in the the area council since last Monday.
The distribution company, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, ascribed the power outage to a technical fault affecting the 33kv Bwari feeder line.
AEDC, in a public notice posted on its official X handle urged its customers on the affected areas to be patient as the problem is being rectified.
The notice reads, “Dear valued customers in Sokale Garden, Dutse Makaranta, Dutse Bukuma (sic), Ushafa, Pegi, Gigo (sic), Defence College Estate, Logo, Zuma, Veritas University, Jamb Headquarters, Law School, Bwari and all its environs.
“We wish to inform you that the ongoing power outage is due to a technical fault on the 33kv Bwari Feeder, which is affecting supply to these areas.
“The TCN technical team is working tirelessly to restore power as quickly as possible.
“Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to serve you better”
But despite the assurances, affected residents say the development has become unbearable as repair works has become unnecessarily prolonged.
Customers on estimated billing are even more worried that they will still be compelled to pay the same exorbitant bills even with the epileptic power supplied this month.
A frozen food seller, Mrs Talatu Igonoh, said she had to sell her frozen fish to a smoked fish seller at giveaway price because she couldn’t afford to fuel her generator for the entire week.
“I had to sell my cartons of fish and chicken at giveaway price to smoked fish sellers and barbecue vendors because I couldn’t power the generator in the plaza alone.
“These kind of prolonged outages affects businesses and it is very unfair that we are made to face this kind of hardship without government or individuals speaking up against it.”
A resident of Bwari who gave his name as Ezeh Okoye said, “Our case is worst because AEDC still serves us same bill as what we have been paying even before the load shedding commenced. Imagine being asked to pay an estimated bill of N25,000 for power we only get fir 15 days in a month.
“Both government and the distribution company are being unfair to consumers. We were in this Bwari when our former transformer parked up for close to a year yet AEDC did nothing about it.
“We wrote to the severally and even staged peaceful protest yest nothing was done about it, all we kept getting were bills for electricity we never consumed. So I know these one week power outage will not even move them a bit.”
Similarly, residents and businesses in Jabi District, parts of Life Camp, Kado District, Aire Gas, Total Marble, Royal Ceramic, Artoland Rice, Faku Agro, Zohgfu along Kaduna Road, and neighbouring areas are also experiencing an power outage due to a technical fault affecting the local feeders.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company claims that the feeders that provide power to these areas are being impacted by the technical fault.
