By ESENVOSA IZAH

Some residents of Lekki Phase 1 have decried the prolonged power outage that has crippled activities in parts of the neighbourhood for almost two weeks following a transformer fault.

The residents also condemned what they described as negligence, poor communication and indifference on the part of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) during the blackout.

They expressed their displeasure in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, saying the prolonged outage had imposed significant financial burdens on residents.

According to them, the blackout has resulted in spoiled food items, while residents who depend on private generators have been forced to spend more on fuel.

The residents appealed to the management of EKEDC to urgently restore electricity supply to Alhaji Hakeem Odumosu Street and other affected parts of the Lekki 1 area.

One of the residents, Mr Taiwo Bolodeoku, described the situation as disturbing and disheartening.

“It has been almost two weeks now since a transformer blew up with a loud bang. The transformer services our home and quite a number of other houses in the area.

“No information has been given, no apology has been sent out, and we wonder what is going on as we continue to wait endlessly.

“EKEDC has just been going back and forth without providing information or a plan on when the transformer will be fixed,” Bolodeoku said.

Another resident, Mrs Margaret Sogbesan, accused the EKEDC management of playing politics with the situation.

“The system is somehow. We have spoken to everyone that needs to be spoken to; they have given updates and made promises to restore power, but here we are, still without a solution. So, it is really frustrating,” she said.

Similarly, another resident, Mr David Nezaya, said life had become unbearable since the area was thrown into darkness nearly two weeks ago.

“I work from home, and it is so terrible that I have to power my generator for hours. It is very frustrating.

“We appeal to EKEDC to do the needful and restore our electricity to enable us to live comfortably.

“It is bad enough that the price of petrol is high, yet there is no electricity to cushion the effect of having to buy petrol almost daily just to survive,” Nezaya said.

Also, Ms Efe Obiomah said she had been forced to switch off her refrigerator because of the prolonged power outage.

“It is a terrible and uncomfortable situation. We appeal to the electricity managers to restore power,” she said.

However, an EKEDC official, Mr Adeyemi Razaq, told NAN that the company was working to restore electricity supply in the area during the week.

Razaq said the workers had requested the materials needed to repair the transformer and that the request had been approved by the head office.

He, however, said the materials had yet to be released to the workers.

“Hopefully, I am promising next week. The materials may arrive on Monday. Hopefully, by Tuesday, they will come and carry out the job, before Wednesday or Thursday next week,” he said. (NAN)

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