‘Traders closing shops in Abaji over blackout’ raises concer

The chairman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Abaji Area Council of the FCT, Alhaji Alhassan Suleiman, has called on the council chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Abdullahi, to address the two-month blackout in the area council. Suleiman, who spoke with newsmen at the party’s secretariat on Thursday, said since the high-tension cables connecting the […]

The chairman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Abaji Area Council of the FCT, Alhaji Alhassan Suleiman, has called on the council chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Abdullahi, to address the two-month blackout in the area council.

Suleiman, who spoke with newsmen at the party’s secretariat on Thursday, said since the high-tension cables connecting the town were vandalized over two months ago, the town has been thrown into darkness.

He said traders in the area are now being forced to close their shops.

He said the APC-led administration of the council should liaise with the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to fix the vandalized high-tension cables and enable residents to continue with their businesses.

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According to him, business owners such as welders, ice fish sellers and laundry operators have been finding it difficult to operate.

“Majority of business owners, especially ice fish sellers, laundry operators, and welders, were left stranded, as some of them had to close their shops because they could not afford diesel or fuel,” he said.

He also said that the absence of electricity has compounded the water problem for residents of the council, saying women now trek long distances in search of water.

Reacting, the Chief of Staff to the council chairman, Mohammed Kandi, said the council would soon liaise with the AEDC to restore power in the area.

“In fact, just last week the chairman met with AEDC management, and they discussed the vandalized cables,” he said.