NAN
Some residents of Port Harcourt have called for the immediate repair of electricity installations that were recently destroyed by a windstorm.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the windstorm, which occurred on Monday, wreaked havoc on assets in some parts of the city, destroying property worth millions of naira, including electricity installations.
Many residents bemoaned the power outage caused by the rainstorm and expressed fears that the blackout might linger for a long time.
Mrs Fineface Nyenwe, a cold-room operator, told NAN that the power outage had negatively impacted on her business.
“The relevant authorities ought to do something fast to help small-scale business owners like me; my business is already going down.
“What we do here is to preserve perishable consumables, electricity is a major factor for anyone to remain in business,’’ she said.
Also speaking, Mike Nkovadu, the Chairman of Egbelu Barbershop Owners Association, said that the situation was also affecting the barbershop business.
“My members are already worried, it is better to switch on to electricity generators whenever the public power supply goes off temporarily.
“‘If the situation continues for long, our business will definitely suffer; we will have to spend more on petrol,’’ he added.
Another resident, Miss Angela Nmamhaobu, who is a student, said that the power outage had somewhat affected her lifestyle and living standards.
“What this means is that I can’t use my electric iron, air-conditioner, boilers and so on because my small power generating set cannot carry them.
“This means that I have to forcefully adjust to an entirely new living pattern; even my study pattern has to change. I think something has to be done,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Syed Taha, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED), has expressed the company’s determination to replace the damaged facilities in good time.
Reacting to the outage caused by the rainstorm, Taha urged Port Harcourt residents to be patient, saying: “The PHED is on top of the situation; we will ensure the quick restoration of electricity supply.’’
He, however, said that natural phenomena such as the recent rainstorm informed the decision of the company to preach against the erection of structures under overhead electricity lines.
Official PHED report indicated that electricity poles, 150mm conductors spanning over 32,000 metres and electrical cross arms were damaged by the rainstorm.
The report also revealed that two 32KV and five 11KV feeders in Rumuokokwu, Rumuola, Bori Camp, Rumuomoi and Wokoma neighbourhoods of Port Harcourt were affected.
