Anambra Indigenes Plan Protest

Worried by the epileptic power supply being experienced in Anambra State, South East Nigeria, indigenes have vowed to storm the Government House, Awka, if there are no improvements, P.M.NEWS has gathered.

Traders, artisans, hoteliers and others, who rely more on electricity to eke out a living have vowed to take the bull by the horns so they can enjoy steady power supply which will in turn boost their income.

Onyebuchi Ezuronye, a metal fabricator said the epileptic power supply in the state is a source of worry for him and some of his colleagues because they find it hard to complete contracts given to them in good time, thereby forcing intending customers to take their jobs to neighbouring Enugu State, which has a better power supply.

The Abia state-born man, who should be in his early 50s noted that the situation had been this way in the last one year.

“I can tell you that welders in this state are not finding this power problem easy. Some of us, who don’t have enough money to buy big power generating sets are on our own. It is no longer a thing of joy for us because most customers now prefer to take their jobs to Enugu State, where power supply is much better. Let me also add that we may have no choice than to take our case to the governor let him know what we have been passing through in the last one year.”

For Ifeoma Nwamour, owner Hair Clinic, hairdressing and barber’s shop, fuelling her power generating set always eats deep into her purse.

She disclosed their association plans to tender their grievances to the state government and if something urgent is not done they would have no option than to go to the State House of Assembly to call for the impeachment of the governor, Peter Obi.

According to her “PHCN as they are called are nothing to write home about in Awka and its environs. As a hairdresser, I rely on power to train my three kids. I’m also a widow so how do I cope with such a situation? We want a change for good.”

The story is the same for operators of business centres as they have increased the cost of making photocopy, scanning and even internet facilities.

A page of photocopy, which goes for as low as N5 in some states has gone to N20, one hour of browsing which ordinarily goes for N100 is N200 and in some places N150 and they all blamed the increase on the cost of buying fuel or diesel to power their geneerating sets.

A business centre operator on Nnamdi Azikiwe Avenue, Awka, said it is not their making to hike the price but the power situation necessitated the change. In his words: “we have no choice than to increase the price of our services to cover the cost of production and also to make profit because it is not a charity organisation. We are looking at a way of making our plight known to the government in no distant time.

Meanwhile, those who charge GSM phones are smiling to the banks because most residents who can’t afford to buy generating set rely on them to charge their phones.

—Alawode Adebobola/Awka