JALINGO — Residents of Mika Sabon-Gida community in Pupule ‘B’ Ward, Yorro Local Government Area of Taraba State, have appealed for urgent intervention following more than four months of electricity blackout in the community.
The residents said the prolonged power outage, which they attributed to a faulty transformer, has severely affected economic activities, disrupted livelihoods and created growing hardship for households and businesses.
They called on the Taraba State Government, Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), elected representatives, philanthropists and other well-meaning individuals to urgently intervene by replacing the damaged transformer and restoring electricity to the community.
A community leader, Jauro Baki, appealed to relevant authorities to treat the situation as an emergency, stressing that residents had endured the blackout for too long.
He urged the government, YEDC and political representatives to work together to ensure that electricity is restored as quickly as possible.
The outage has reportedly had a particularly damaging effect on small businesses and other income-generating activities that depend on regular electricity supply.
A resident, Andrew Helikiah, said the prolonged blackout had made it difficult for young entrepreneurs to sustain their businesses, forcing some residents to leave the community in search of better economic opportunities.
According to him, several young men and women have relocated because their businesses could no longer survive under the prevailing conditions.
Also speaking, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu Mika Mika, a community representative and former Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of Yorro Local Government Area, described the situation as increasingly unbearable.
Mika explained that the affected transformer is not only important to residents of Mika Sabon-Gida but also serves as an electricity connection point for communities around the Yorro and Zing axis.
He therefore urged the authorities to regard the matter as a wider community concern and provide a replacement transformer without further delay.
He said the prolonged absence of electricity had weakened economic activities and placed businesses and families under severe financial pressure.
“After more than four months without functional electricity, our businesses are suffering and the economic activities of our people have been seriously affected,” he said, while appealing for the immediate replacement of the transformer.
Residents said they had been compelled to rely on alternative sources of electricity, particularly generators, which they described as too expensive to maintain amid rising operating costs.
For artisans, petty traders and other small-scale business operators, the situation has made daily operations increasingly difficult, with some businesses reportedly reducing their activities or closing down completely.
The community consequently appealed to the Taraba State Government and YEDC to expedite action on the replacement of the faulty transformer.
They also urged elected representatives and other stakeholders to support efforts aimed at restoring electricity, noting that reliable power supply would help revive commercial activities and improve the welfare of residents.
According to the residents, the impact of restoring electricity would extend beyond Mika Sabon-Gida to other communities connected to the same electricity infrastructure along the Yorro-Zing axis.
Mika also acknowledged previous interventions by government representatives and other stakeholders in addressing community needs across Yorro Local Government Area, but appealed for renewed attention to the electricity crisis.
He stressed that the community could no longer continue to endure the hardship associated with prolonged power failure.
Meanwhile, a senior official of YEDC in Taraba State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the company was aware of the situation and was making arrangements to restore electricity to Mika Sabon-Gida.
The official said plans were already underway to replace the faulty transformer, although he directed further inquiries to the company’s headquarters in Yola, Adamawa State, where its authorised spokesperson is based.
He assured residents that the company was working towards resolving the problem and restoring power to the affected community.
The development has renewed calls for urgent attention to electricity infrastructure in rural communities across Taraba State, with residents of Mika Sabon-Gida insisting that immediate restoration of power is critical to reviving businesses and improving living conditions in the area.
