Residents of Ikpai Ohom and Big Qua Town in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, have decried a prolonged blackout that has lasted for about six months following the failure of a transformer supplying electricity to the areas.

The transformer, which serves both communities and was installed in 1968, reportedly developed faults and was eventually removed for repairs in August 2025, plunging the areas into total darkness.

The residents accused the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company of failing to repair or replace the transformer, despite contributions made by the communities towards repairs since August last year.

They appealed to the Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, to intervene, saying they had lost confidence in PHEDC’s ability to resolve the problem.

Speaking in Calabar, a resident of Ikpai, Ntufam Etim Edet, said the transformer broke down about six months ago, leaving both communities without electricity.

He said the fault was beyond what residents could handle, necessitating their appeal to the state government for assistance.

Similarly, a resident of Big Qua Town, Edim Ika, described the prolonged blackout as embarrassing and unacceptable, lamenting that those expected to address the problem were comfortable relying on generators.

Another resident, Mr Okokon Edem, said the outage had brought severe hardship to the communities.

“We now pay to charge our phones at charging centres that operate with generators,” he said, calling on the state government and well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of the affected areas.

Victoria Omini, another resident, said the situation had become intolerable for families, adding that more than 2,000 homes had been plunged into hardship, worsening water shortages and heightening insecurity.

She called for urgent action to restore electricity to the communities.

A Big Qua Town resident, Mr Ojo Idowu, said the blackout had forced many artisans who depend on electricity for their livelihoods to relocate to neighbouring communities.

He said several small-scale businesses had shut down due to the lack of power, bringing the local economy to a standstill.

Idowu also expressed concern over rising insecurity, noting that vandals, hoodlums and burglars now exploit the darkness to carry out crimes at night.

According to him, residents were forced to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in darkness, a situation he described as frustrating and unacceptable.

He appealed to the state government and political leaders to urgently intervene, adding that repeated efforts to get a response from PHEDC had proved unsuccessful.