Eight days after the collapse of one of its main feeders in Aba, Abia State, which resulted in a weeklong blackout in some key places in the foremost Southeast industrial city, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has restored power to these places Sunday night.
According to a TCN engineer in Aba who was part of the team involved in the restoration but pleaded anonymity, “The restoration was done yesterday.” The engineer requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media on the development.
The engineer further explained that the blackout lasted for an extended period because the circuit safety breaker at the Aba Overhead Feeder was not repairable and had to be completely replaced.
Another member of the technical team, who also desired anonymity, revealed, “It is a pity that this essential component of the Aba Overhead Feeder was allowed to be used for so long and was, in addition, poorly maintained.”
Cliff Eneh, a power consultant in Lagos and a former manager with the defunct National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), added, “Very poor maintenance is really the situation of the entire transmission network in Nigeria, which is a Federal Government monopoly.”
The Aba Overhead Feeder serves six other feeders in Aba and surrounding communities, including Okigwe Road, which is home to a number of manufacturing firms and big hotels.
Patrick Umeh, the Managing Director of Aba Power, expressed regret over the prolonged blackout and stated, “That’s why we had to go out of our way to assist the TCN to fix the problem immediately by assigning some of our best engineers to work with them day and night without cost.” He also mentioned that Aba Power engineers closely collaborated with the TCN team.
One of the TCN engineers confirmed that Aba Power’s involvement expedited the restoration process. Without their assistance, it would have taken at least two weeks due to the time required for the TCN, a government organization, to procure, install, and commission new equipment.
The TCN official also commended the collaboration between Aba Power and the TCN, saying, “Even though ours is a Federal Government enterprise and Aba Power is a private sector operator, the synergy between Aba Power and the TCN is commendable, and I urge other electricity utilities in the country to emulate this relationship.” The official emphasized the shared mission of the power sector to provide reliable, safe, and affordable power to all Nigerians.
During the blackout, some electricity consumers in Aba experienced an improvement in power supply. John Eze, the manager of a popular restaurant chain, reported, “Electricity on Aba Overhead Feeder was diverted to other feeders when the safety breaker was being replaced.”
The Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association (ALPADA) praised the cooperation between Aba Power and the TCN. Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo, the President General of APADAL, highlighted the importance of synergy among all stakeholders in the power sector, stating, “The electricity business is a value chain, observing that if there is a weak link, power supply will experience a serious hiccup in the country.” He urged stakeholders to collaborate and synergize rather than work in isolation.
