Electricity consumers in the Federal Capital Territory have demanded the dismissal of personnel responsible for managing the National Grid, following its collapse on Saturday morning.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the grid had collapsed on Monday, with power only being restored on Tuesday.
Saturday’s collapse marks the second in a week and the seventh in 2024.
Consumers residing in Kuje, Area 10, Gwagwalada, and surrounding areas voiced their frustrations over the frequent grid failures, urging the government to replace those overseeing it.
They expressed their weariness of repeated grid collapses and insisted that the government sack the current managers.
A resident of Kuje, Mr. Bisi Afolabi stated that he believes those responsible for managing the grid are not capable of handling the job.
According to him, since the grid frequently collapses, the government should dismiss those in charge and hire competent personnel.
Similarly, a barber, Mr. Samuel Maduka, who resides in Kuje, expressed disappointment with the grid’s management. He noted that the grid had collapsed on Monday and, before full recovery, collapsed again on Saturday.
“The government should address this issue of constant grid collapses. If it means sacking everyone involved to resolve it, then so be it”, Maduka remarked.
A printer at UTC Area 10, Mr. Solomon Oche told NAN that the embarrassment caused by frequent grid collapses was overwhelming. He added that unless the government takes decisive action and sanctions those responsible for maintaining the grid, the situation will not improve.
A cold room owner in Gwagwalada, Mrs Uduak Essien expressed her confusion over the persistent grid failures. She pointed out that despite the significant investments made in the power sector, the grid continues to collapse.
“If the people in charge are not competent, they should be replaced with those who can manage the grid effectively”, she urged.
NAN reports that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company notified its customers on Saturday of the system failure that occurred on the grid.
The company attributed the power outage in its franchise area to the system failure at around 8:16 a.m. on Saturday.
The notification, posted on the company’s Twitter handle, confirmed that the grid had experienced a failure, affecting power supply to its franchise area.
