Communities around the Ibom Power Plant have complained of unsteady power supply in spite of assurances of improved power supply by the Akwa Ibom Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that communities hosting the 191 megawatt capacity IPP in Ikot Abasi in southern Akwa Ibom, were given assurance that a quota of the power generated had been reserved for them.
NAN also recalls that the Independent Power Plant constructed by Akwa Ibom Government was switched on by the Minister of Power, Dr Lanre Babalola on Monday, Dec. 14.
Mr Itabong Offiong spokesman of the PHCN, Eket Business Unit, told NAN on Friday that the quota reserved for the host communities was between 35 and 40 megawatts.
He however said that the consumers were still to experience uninterrupted power supply as anticipated due to distribution challenges.
“Ibom power plant has been switched on and this has thrown up a lot of distribution challenges, the distribution network we have is dilapidated and we are working to improve it.
“But the fact is that the situation has improved in some places and it would take a while for the situation to stabilise,”Offiong said.
Chief Maurice Edohoeket, a Community Leader in Eket, told NAN that the community found it unacceptable to be near the source of power and yet suffered prolonged periods of darkness.
“We want the management of PHCN to address the epileptic power situation in Eket which is no longer tolerable since the Ibom Power plant was commissioned,”Edohoeket said.
NAN reports that hundreds of residents in Eket on Friday embarked on a protest march to the Eket district office of the PHCN to protest inadequate supply of electricity to the area since the power plant was inaugurated.
