Borno community decries eight-month power outage

Residents of the Abuja Sheraton Filin Deribe Community in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, have decried the prolonged power outage now stretching into its ninth month.

In an interview with Tribune Online in Maiduguri on Tuesday, one of the residents, Bukar Korede, lamented that the community has suffered neglect without intervention, attributing the situation to the failure of the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) to repair a faulty transformer in the area.

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The epileptic power supply has grounded small businesses and hampered essential services in the local primary healthcare facility.

“The blackout has paralyzed economic activity here. Welders, tailors, cold drinks sellers, and barbers have all been forced to run costly generators.

“This is no longer a technical issue. It’s a humanitarian one. Without electricity, we are disconnected from life itself,” Korede said.

Residents say the persistent power outage is not just a matter of convenience but a threat to their livelihoods.

Abdulkadir Abubakar, a local leader, called on the authorities to urgently address the power cut.

He explained that after repeated complaints to the YEDC, the community pooled money to fix the transformer.

“When our transformer developed fault, we reported to YEDC. They said they didn’t have the tools to fix it.

“We gathered ₦2,000 from each household and gave them money for the repairs. Later, we heard they moved our repaired transformer to another location,” Abubakar claimed.

The community, largely comprising low- to middle-income earners, said the power outage has worsened insecurity in the area, especially at night.

“There are no streetlights. At night, the area is in complete darkness. We are scared,” said Amina Musa, a widow who lives with her three children.

Naomi Lucker, a mother of four who runs a frozen food store, said she lost over ₦300,000 worth of stock because they couldn’t preserve them.

“I now sell dry goods, but profit is very low,” she said, her voice trembling with frustration.

Local traders and artisans, including Modu Gana and Saleh Kaumi, have expressed fears that the situation may force many youths into criminal activities due to growing idleness.

Community members are now appealing directly to Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, to intervene.

They commended his previous interventions in primary healthcare and road construction, urging him to replicate such efforts by restoring power to the neighborhood.

Efforts to reach YEDC officials for comment were unsuccessful.

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