Calabar Businesses, Residents count losses after 48 days power outage

Residents of Calabar in Cross Rivers have started to count their losses following 48 days of power outage in the capital city.

Some of the residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday, lamented how the development had affected their means of livelihoods.

They regretted the fact that nobody, especially from the government, seemed to be doing anything to restore power supply to the area since March 22.

The residents noted that though the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company had attributed the power outage to vandalism of their transmission line to Calabar, they wondered why it was taking so long a time to fix.

They narrated how they depend on generating sets which cost much in terms of buying of fuel and thus affects their profit margin.

A resident and manager of Victor Fitness Gym, Ms Grace Okon, lamented that from a daily power supply of about seven hours to zero was not a funny way to run a business.

“Again, a block of ice that cost between N100 to N150 now costs N500 to cold drinks for customers.

Similarly, a barber shop operator, Mr Oyama Bassey, bemoaned the same thing and noted that in spite of the increased in his charges, it had not helped matters.

“It is a pathetic situation because I depend on this business to cater for my family, but nothing seems to be moving again because of the cut in power supply to Calabar.

“I had to increase my charges from N300 to N400 to cater for the over N2500 from N1000 I spend on fuel before the cut.

“I am pained because I’m still not making any profit and yet customers are complaining about the increment,” he said.

Another resident, Idara-Obong Jeremiah, while regretting the situation, said it had greatly affected night life in the city.

Meanwhile, Mr Collins Igwe, Regional Manager of the PHEDC, has called for calm as efforts are being made to restore power supply to the city.

He stated that a team of engineers were working hard to put in place the vandalised lines that supply electricity to Calabar.

-NAN