The electricity crisis in Owerri and across Imo State has degenerated into a full-blown public scandal. For close to two months, power supply has been so erratic that in many parts of the state, electricity barely lasts two hours a day, if it comes at all. This is not a routine technical failure; it is a systemic breakdown with grave economic and social consequences.
Businesses are bearing the brunt. Small traders, artisans and service providers who depend on steady power to survive are being pushed to the wall. The cost of running generators has wiped out margins, forced early closures and, in some cases, shut businesses entirely. In a fragile economy, sustained blackout is not a neutral event; it is an accelerator of poverty and unemployment.
What makes the situation more troubling is the timing. The steep decline in power supply followed closely after the Imo State government announced plans to float an independent power project in partnership with the Orashi Electricity Company. Since that declaration, residents have watched a messy and unedifying standoff between state authorities and the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), marked by open hostility and institutional confusion.
The victims of this power struggle are the people. Supply in Owerri metropolis has collapsed to levels not seen in recent memory, while communities across the state remain in darkness for days. The state’s apparent inability to manage the political and regulatory consequences of its power ambitions has translated into collective punishment for consumers.
The irony is cruel in Egbu, host community to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), where electricity supply has been notoriously poor. That a community housing critical national power infrastructure should be trapped in darkness speaks volumes about the dysfunction of the system.
Even more indefensible is the surge in electricity bills. Consumers are being slapped with inflated and estimated charges that bear no relationship to the abysmal supply on ground. This pattern—poor service combined with higher billing—amounts to exploitation under regulatory cover.
The festive period has exposed the depth of the crisis. December, when electricity demand peaks for domestic and commercial reasons, has been characterised by prolonged outages across Imo. Yet, instead of relief, consumers have recorded further increases in bills, reinforcing public anger and mistrust.
The Imo State government must urgently move beyond rhetoric. The much-touted uninterrupted power supply project must be clearly defined, transparently pursued and swiftly delivered. Anything less will confirm fears that the promise was poorly thought through or recklessly announced.
Equally, EEDC and its operational units, including TRANSPOWER, must explain their conduct. How does one justify sustained blackout in Owerri barely weeks after aggressive billing for November consumption? This raises serious questions about intent, accountability and regulatory oversight.
Electricity distribution is a public service with commercial obligations, not a licence for arbitrariness. Consumers are entitled to fair billing, predictable supply and clear communication. The current arrangement in Imo fails on all counts.
Those in charge must end this avoidable suffering. Darkness cannot be the price of policy confusion, nor should citizens be punished for power sector turf wars. Imo deserves light, not excuses.
