Residents and business operators in Odeagba and Arthur Eze Street area took to the streets in protest against 14 months power outage in their areas.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the business owners and resident took to the streets and later disrupted business activities at Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC office for two hours in demonstration against 14 months power outage.
Mr Amaechi Okeke, Chairman Arthur Eze Business Association, who led the protest, said since October 2016 when the Arthur Eze one sub-station/transformer was vandalised, the area had been without power supply.
“Despite several appeals to EEDC, we have been left in darkness for long and this has affected us tremendously since then,” Okeke said.
But an official of EEDC said no fewer than 200 transformers were vandalised by hoodlums between January and November in Anambra and this may be responsible for the prolonged power outage.
Samuel Onuoha, the Network Manager, EEDC, Awka, disclosed while addressing the protesters at EEDC office in Awka.
Onuoha, who noted the company had zero tolerance for vandalism of its installations, said 50 transformers were vandalised in Nnewi; 30 in Awka; over 100 in Onitsha and six in Ekwulobia districts within the period.
“There are different levels of vandalism; some go for oil and different types of cables and some remove the feeder pillar units, among others.
“The vandalism escalated in the Ember Months; we cannot continue to run business like that,” Onuoha stated, adding that six cases of vandalism were currently at different levels of prosecution in the state.
However, the network manager said the company had commenced replacement of vandalised facilities across the South-East geo-political zone, urging residents and community leaders to protect their transformers.
He also urged them to report cases of vandalism to the office or the nearest police station.
“What we do in EEDC is also a business that involves buying and selling; so anything affecting our inability to distribute electricity is also affecting our income,” he stressed.
Onuoha assured the protesters that the company would fix their vandalised transformer by Wednesday.
He appealed to them to show understanding, noting that the company was collaborating with security agencies and community leaders to minimise vandalism of its installations.