Residents of Rumuorlumeni in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State are raising alarm over a crippling power outage that has persisted for nearly nine months, plunging entire communities into darkness and grinding local economic activities to a halt.
Since December 2024, neighborhoods such as Nkpordaya, Nkpor, and other surrounding areas have reportedly been without stable electricity supply. The absence of power has forced businesses to shut down or drastically scale back operations, while households struggle to meet basic needs in the face of rising fuel costs and unreliable generator usage.
Community members who spoke with our correspondent described a grim reality marked by fleeting flashes of power that preceded a complete blackout.
“Our light supply is very, very poor. For eight to nine months now, our transformer has not seen power,” lamented one resident.
Another added, “The power supply has been epileptic. We haven’t had real light since December. All we see are brief flashes and blinks—nothing sustainable.”
Local traders say the prolonged blackout has had devastating economic consequences. “In Nkpordaya and Rumuorlumeni at large, power has been a major problem. With the hike in petrol prices, it’s now nearly impossible to rely on generators. Everything is at a standstill,” a small business owner shared.
Frustration is boiling over, with some residents threatening to take direct action against the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED).
“Rumuorlumeni is ready to shut down PHED’s office any moment from now. We’re sick and tired of empty promises,” said one angry youth.
The Youth Chairman of Rumuorlumeni, Mr. Philip Chinda, criticized PHED for failing to act on resolutions made during several meetings with community representatives. He said that despite community efforts to address technical faults along the power line—including self-funded repairs—PHED has yet to restore electricity.
“We’ve held meetings with PHED officials at both the regional office and the headquarters on Moscow Road. Each time, they made promises. They told us the issue was technical, and we fixed it ourselves. Yet, there’s still no power,” Chinda explained.
He also revealed that the community had issued a formal 14-day ultimatum to the company, later extended by another week. “That was almost two months ago. Since then, we’ve heard nothing. It’s deliberate negligence,” he said.
Now, the residents are appealing to the Rivers State Government and the Federal Ministry of Power to urgently intervene and hold PHED accountable. Many fear the blackout is not only destroying livelihoods but also endangering lives due to poor security and health risks.
As Rumuorlumeni’s cries grow louder, the silence from PHED remains deafening.
