By Suzan Edeh

Bauchi—Residents of Bauchi State are now groaning over poor electricity supply in Bauchi, the state capital and the environs.
Some of the residents who spoke to Vanguard over the situation lamented that they had expected the situation to improve with the privatisation of the PHCN, but regretted that the supply of electricity has continued to be epileptic within the state.

The residents said that although they had been experiencing power outage, the situation had worsened since the privatization of PHCN.
Areas mostly affected include Wunit Dada, Bakin Kura, Kofar Duste, Federal Low Cost, Railway, Gwalameji and Yelwa, among others.
Those who spoke to Vanguard in Bauchi complained of erratic power supply adding that the situation had deteriorated in the last three months.

A business man, Mr. Dennis Ayilara who lives in Yelwa, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis said that inadequate power supply had crippled his businesses as he had lost many customers of his customers.
“The business I operate is a lucrative one, but inefficient power supply has made me to lose a lot of customers. Some of the customers cannot afford the cost of using a generator, so they just leave when I charge them extra because of fuelling of the generator.

According to him, even when the restore electricity, it would go off before one hour.
Also, Mrs Vivian Barnabas who operates restaurant along the Wunti Market complained bitterly that her business had been going down within the last few weeks due to poor power supply. She urged the Federal Government to urgently address the situation.

“I was very happy when I heard that the Federal Government has privatized the power sector, but for three months now, the situation has not changed. It is even becoming worse.
“Most of the food items I usually keep in my refrigerator normally get bad because of inadequate power supply and when they get spoilt, I am the one that loses. Spending on fuel to power my generator has drained me financially and I am not making profit,” she added.
Vanguard gathered that the Buachi metropolis had been witnessing irregular power supply since  November last year.