Residents and business owners in Egbu, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State are outraged over the deteriorating power supply by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), which has left them with just two to three hours of electricity daily since January 2025.
Egbu, home to one of the Transmission Companies of Nigeria, TCN, in the country, has seen electricity availability dwindle while voltage remains too low to power essential appliances.
Frustrated residents say they now rely on petrol generators, further straining their already tight budgets because of high cost of feul
“It is as though we have been abandoned. Two to three hours of power in a day is a joke. Even when we get it, the voltage is so low that we cannot even charge our phones, let alone run refrigerators or other appliances.” Eugene Amadi, a resident of Egbu community lamented to this newspaper.
Local businesses have been particularly hard hit by the erratic supply.
Ms. Esther Kamalu, a provision shop owner, said, “Businesses here are gradually collapsing because of this epileptic power supply.
“How do you expect people to survive like this? We cannot keep up with the high cost of running generators every day with the exorbitant cost of fuel.” She said.
The issue is compounded by exorbitant electricity bills.Residents in the area and its environs allege paying as much as N10,000 monthly per flat, while businesses face even higher charges.
“It feels like daylight robbery. I pay N11, 000 every month, yet I barely get any electricity to power my shop. How do they justify this?” said Fidelis Ohia, a small business owner.
Large businesses are also bearing the brunt. Mr.Austin Echerozor, a supermarket owner at Afor Egbu, said the power supply here is unreliable.
“I had to switch to solar energy to sustain my operations. Egbu community should be enjoying total power supply. This community has no factories, banks, or industries consuming electricity. Why should we suffer low voltage, especially when the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN is here?” he asked.
The lack of power has also heightened security concerns in the area.
“We live in fear because most parts of the community and its environs are in darkness at night. It’s a security risk, and EEDC seems not to care, despite the fact we are the host of the Transmission Company of Nigeria,” Ms. Kamalu told this newspaper.
Residents also allege that complaints to EEDC have been ignored.
“We have complained, but nothing seems to change. The low voltage is even worse,” said John Amadi, who runs a football viewing center in Umueze, Egbu.
