LAGOS MARCH 2ND (URHOBOTODAY)-Residents of Ughelli, the administrative headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, have cried out over the prolonged power outage in the locality.

Most of them that spoke to newsmen said the whole town had been in darkness for about one week, with no sign of getting the light in sight, just as they added that the situation had been compounded by the increase in the pump price of fuel.

According to one of the residents, a clergyman, Revd Dr. Thomas Akatika of Paradise of Life Ministry in Ughelli, life was becoming unbearable everyday for the common man due to increase in the pump price of fuel and incessant power failure.

Akatika attributed recent happenings in Nigeria and all over the world to signs of the end time and urged Christians  to look unto God for survival.

Another anonymous resident described the Benin Electrical Distribution Company (BEDC ) as a scam, which had caused more harm to residents of Ughelli and environs by extorting consumers with estimated billing without regular supply of electricity that was commensurate to the bills.

He said officials of the BEDC in Ughelli used every slight opportunity to keep the town in perpetual darkness while they continue to collect payments on estimated bills at the expense of the consumers.

He urged the BEDC officials to improve on the supply of electricity to Ughelli and environs to save businesses that depended on it for survival.

Responding, the Ughelli Business Manager of BEDC, Mr Bethel Ebuiwhe, said that the power failure in Ughelli and environs was due to broken electricity poles that were destroyed by rainstorm along the Ughelli-Patani Express Way and some parts of the Isoko Road in the area.

He disclosed that they had made concerted effort to get new, but for their unavailability at present, promising that work would commerce as soon as they were able to get poles to replace the fallen ones to see that electricity was restored back to Ughelli.

The manager regretted the hardship the outage had caused individuals and business owners in Ughelli and environs, just as he added that the situation was becoming embarrassing and appealed for calm.