Lekki community protests prolonged blackout, demands immediate electricity restoration from EKEDC

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Some residents of Lekki Phase 1 have decried the prolonged power outage that has crippled activities in parts of the neighbourhood for almost two weeks following a transformer fault.

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The residents also condemned what they described as negligence, poor communication and indifference on the part of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) during the blackout.

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They expressed their displeasure in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, saying the prolonged outage had imposed significant financial burdens on residents.

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According to them, the blackout has resulted in spoiled food items, while residents who depend on private generators have been forced to spend more on fuel.

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The residents appealed to the management of EKEDC to urgently restore electricity supply to Alhaji Hakeem Odumosu Street and other affected parts of the Lekki 1 area.

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One of the residents, Mr Taiwo Bolodeoku, described the situation as disturbing and disheartening.

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“It has been almost two weeks now since a transformer blew up with a loud bang. The transformer services our home and quite a number of other houses in the area.

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“No information has been given, no apology has been sent out, and we wonder what is going on as we continue to wait endlessly.

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“EKEDC has just been going back and forth without providing information or a plan on when the transformer will be fixed,” Bolodeoku said.

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Another resident, Mrs Margaret Sogbesan, accused the EKEDC management of playing politics with the situation.

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“The system is somehow. We have spoken to everyone that needs to be spoken to; they have given updates and made promises to restore power, but here we are, still without a solution. So, it is really frustrating,” she said.

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Similarly, another resident, Mr David Nezaya, said life had become unbearable since the area was thrown into darkness nearly two weeks ago.

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“I work from home, and it is so terrible that I have to power my generator for hours. It is very frustrating.

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“We appeal to EKEDC to do the needful and restore our electricity to enable us to live comfortably.

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“It is bad enough that the price of petrol is high, yet there is no electricity to cushion the effect of having to buy petrol almost daily just to survive,” Nezaya said.

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Also, Ms Efe Obiomah said she had been forced to switch off her refrigerator because of the prolonged power outage.

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“It is a terrible and uncomfortable situation. We appeal to the electricity managers to restore power,” she said.

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However, an EKEDC official, Mr Adeyemi Razaq, told NAN that the company was working to restore electricity supply in the area during the week.

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Razaq said the workers had requested the materials needed to repair the transformer and that the request had been approved by the head office.

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He, however, said the materials had yet to be released to the workers.

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“Hopefully, I am promising next week. The materials may arrive on Monday. Hopefully, by Tuesday, they will come and carry out the job, before Wednesday or Thursday next week,” he said.

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