Football enthusiasts in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia, have pleaded with the Aba Power Limited (APL) to improve the power supply in the city to enable them to watch Sunday’s AFCON final.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will be locking horns in the final match with the host, Cote d’Ivoire, at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.
Nigeria defeated South Africa’s Bafana Bafana on penalty shootouts in Wednesday’s pulsating quarter-final to secure a spot in the final.
Some football fans in Aba said in separate interviews with journalists on Thursday that they had not watched any match in the tournament with public power.
A football agent, Bamidele Ayo, said that people no longer depended on public power but on generating sets.
“In civilised countries, power and water remain the basic amenities citizens get from the government, but in Nigeria, the government privatised them.
“Nigerians ought to watch the AFCON matches with public power, but it is not to be due to the power company’s failure to live up to expectations.
“I always use my solar power to watch matches in the comfort of my house for security reasons,” he said.
The media manager of Enyimba International FC, David Orji, said that he watched the Super Eagles semifinal match against Bafana Bafana with generator even with the high cost of petrol.
“Nobody can trust APL again in terms of power supply, so I will keep my generator ready for the final on Sunday.
“Power supply in Aba, a commercial town with millions of people who need it to carry out their day and night businesses, is not encouraging at all.
“I wish to call on the power company to improve on its supply because I know it can do better than what it has been doing all this while,” he said.
A resident, Uche Maduako, expressed dismay over his inability to watch the AFCON matches with public power.
Mr Maduako, therefore, urged APL to do the needful to ensure that people watch the AFCON final with public power.
He advised the Super Eagles to play massive attack and massive defence to ensure that they lift the trophy for the fourth time.
Kelechi Makwe, who deals in sportswear, said that he was not going to depend on APL to watch the AFCON or any other match.
“We need electricity light every day to power our fridge, iron our clothes and other neccesary things not only to watch AFCON,” Mr Makwe said.
