Small scale business operators in Warri have decried the epileptic electricity supply in the city and its environs.

The operators who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Warri on the issue, said that it had retarded the growth of their businesses. The operators of cyber caféés, business centres, boutiques, fashion designers and farmers were some of the affected small businesses in the area.  The operators expressed regret over what they described as government’s slow pace in addressing the power problem in the country.

According to them, the agitations of the Niger Delta youths can be eliminated, if the power supply is regular.

A poultry farmer, Mrs Helen Emakpo, said she had resorted to the use of charcoal and stove in the nursery to maintain the required temperature due to the epileptic power supply situation. According to Emakpo, generating heat from such “crude” sources is not the best because of the difficulty in regulating the temperature.

“This could result in birds fatality. Besides, the smoke from the cooking stove most times affect the nursery adversely by making them sick. These and some other factors discourage people from the business,’’ she said.

Mr Christopher Odamah, a Cyber Cafe Manager, said that money made from the business, most times, was not enough to buy fuel for the generators. He said that many businesses had since closed down due to poor power supply in the area.

“We can’t expand our business because we cannot save to buy more computers and internet services. After paying electric bills, buying fuel for two generators and paying for internet services, there is nothing left for savings,” he said. A fashion designer, Mrs Stella Nwafor, said the situation had gone from bad to worse compared to the last quarter of 2010 in terms of power supply to the area.

“The later part of last year was better as PHCN stopped loading shedding; but this year, the supply is becoming worse,” she said. She said that it would be difficult for small business operators to break even given the epileptic nature of electricity supply in the area.

Nwafor urged the Federal and State Governments to act fast in making the power project a reality for the country. If the power problem is solved in this country, the excess funds expended by people and the various tiers of government to power generating sets will be converted to alternative uses. We will be happy; jobs will be created and crime reduced to the barest level,’’ she said.