Youths of Uwani, Enugu on Monday crippled movements in Uwani following the protest against the blackout of their area by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.
A Nigerian Newspaper correspondent, who monitored the protest, said the youths blocked the major exit roads in the area, restricting the residents to their homes until mobile policemen were drafted to clear their barricades. Some of the youths carried placards with inscriptions, ‘No light no road,’ as they chanted “NEPA enough is enough, give us light, we cannot continue in darkness.”
One of the protesters disclosed the whole area had been in darkness since December “and we have made several attempts to PHCN to rectify the anomaly but all in vein. We cannot continue our lives in darkness. PHCN has failed us.” he said.
The protesters insist the action is the only way to express their frustration since officials of PHCN are not ready to address their suffering.
Reacting to the protest, the Police Public Relations Officer in Enugu State, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said the command had deployed policemen to the area to observe the protest, adding that the early morning protest was a result of PHCN blackout “but our concern in the state is to keep the peace.”
Residents of the area, including school children, workers, artisans and traders were stranded as the protesters kept off transporters.