For half a year, two communities in the heart of Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, have been plunged into a debilitating power outage, with residents accusing the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) of neglect and demanding urgent government intervention.
Communities Plunged into Darkness After Transformer Removal
The crisis began when a critical transformer serving both Ikpai Ohom and Big Qua Town developed faults. Installed as far back as 1968, the aging equipment finally gave out and was taken away for repairs in August 2025. Since that day, the areas have been enveloped in total darkness.
Residents express deep frustration, alleging that the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo) collected money contributed by the community for the repairs but has since failed to either fix or replace the transformer. This has left over 2,000 homes without a timeline for restoration, shattering their hope.
Ntufam Etim Edet, a resident of Ikpai, confirmed to our correspondent in Calabar that the transformer broke down six months ago. He stated that the fault was beyond the community's capacity to handle, forcing them to turn to the state government for a solution.
Hardship, Insecurity, and Economic Paralysis
The prolonged blackout has inflicted severe suffering on the inhabitants. Mr. Okokon Edem highlighted the daily struggles, noting that residents now have to pay to charge their phones at centres powered by generators. Victoria Omini painted a grimmer picture, stating that the situation has worsened water shortages, crippled businesses, and heightened insecurity across the area.
"It is deeply disheartening to say that we have had electricity for fewer than five months in 2025," Omini lamented. She described how communal living and business activities have suffered, with families, including children and the elderly, forced to scavenge for water from neighbouring areas.
The economic impact is devastating. Mr. Ojo Idowu, a Big Qua Town resident, reported that many artisans who depend on electricity have been forced to relocate. Several small-scale businesses have shut down, bringing the local economy to a standstill.
A Desperate Plea for Government Intervention
Faced with the DisCo's apparent inaction, the communities are now directing their appeals to Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu. They say they can no longer rely on the electricity distribution company to resolve the crisis.
Edim Ika, another resident of Big Qua Town, described the six-month blackout as both embarrassing and unacceptable. He criticised officials who were expected to champion a resolution for being comfortable using personal generators while the populace suffers.
Idowu added a concerning security dimension, noting that vandals and criminals are exploiting the perpetual darkness to commit crimes at night. He revealed the added indignity of being forced to celebrate both Christmas 2025 and the New Year in total darkness, a situation he labelled as frustrating and unacceptable.
The collective cry from Ikpai Ohom and Big Qua Town is clear: they need immediate action from the state government and political leaders to restore power and end their six-month ordeal in the shadows.
