RESIDENTS of Ibadan have been groaning over the failure of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to supply electricity to many parts of the city, just as petrol still sells at the rate of N110 per litre.Areas like Ring Road, Molete, Challenge, Adeoyo, Oke-Ado, have been in perpetual darkness for some months now as this has affected some business owners who depended on electricity to operate.According to Mr Emmanuel Olukoya, a printing press business owner who lamented the loss he incurred everyday due to the non-availability of electricity supply. 'As you know, this kind of business venture requires constant electricity supply which has been off for some months now, and petrol stations are not helping matters as price of fuel still persists at N110.00 per litre.'I spend a lot of money in fuelling the generator, and at the end of the day, I don't make enough profit. I turn back job offers because I can't afford to keep spending all my income on petrol,' he said.According to Mrs Bunmi Iyanda, a shop owner on Adeoyo road, 'I don't know, may be it is because of the issue of privatisation or pension wahala that made PHCN took their anger out on us by not supplying electricity. The annoying thing is that, at the end of the month, they will bring bills for us to pay for what we did not consume. I have decided to save enough money and buy a prepaid metre, and only be paying for what I consume, I think it is the best. 'Meanwhile, the management of PHCN should please restore back electricity in the state in other to cushion the effect of the recent inflation on price of fuel.I heard the electricity outtage is not only peculiar here, a friend of mine said it also affected areas like Bodija, Mokola and Iyaganku areas,' she lamented.An owner of an iced block manufacturing company whose office is at Abegunde area, said he no longer depended on PHCN in running his business, rather, his company make use of diesel in powering its generator. 'Although, I have my own separate transformer, I can't afford to disappoint my customers, whether there is light or no light, my business dey kampe,' he said.The fuel hike, had led to an automatic increase in transport fares and other electricity dependent businesses like barbing, printing press, among others.According to Mr Ebele Onyekachi, a landlord at Orita area, 'the Federal Government should find a solution to the issue that led to the increase in price of petroleum so that at least, if PHCN does not give us electricity, we can depend on our generator for source of light. But as the case is now, I usually buy ten litres for N900, now it sells for N1,100. I can't remember the last time I fuelled the generator, because I can't spend such exorbitant money both for my car and home use,' he lamented.
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