Arts and Crafts Village decry poor electricity supply

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May 3, 2017 1:01 PM

Mallam Abdul Abdul, a sculptor said this was especially so, because most of their machines are powered by electricity.

Electricity distribution station (Illustration).

Artists at the Abuja Arts and Crafts Village on Tuesday, decried the poor supply of electricity to the village, saying that the development was negatively affecting their businesses.

The village is situated within the heart of the city; it is a unique market replete with stalls built of red clay and thatched roof stalls that amplify Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

Art works from other African nations are also on display in the market.

Some of the artists who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the situation has impacted negatively on their businesses.

According to him, they need electricity to carry out finishing touches, smoothing, carving and spraying of their work.

He therefore, called on the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to step up the distribution of electricity to the area.

Another artist, Mr Abdulahi Malic said that any Government that could not ensure constant electricity supply to her citizenry would not development.

He explained that electricity was the engine to business growth, adding that it was regrettable that the village has been in total darkness for a while.

He added that he could hardly meet his customer’s orders because of the situation.

Mr Shaibu Lawal, National Secretary Shop Owners Association, said over 50 per cent of people in the village depended on electricity supply to carry out their work.

He expressed concerns that the village sometimes enjoyed electricity supply for about twelve or six hours a day and could be without it sometimes for two days.

“ Light affects our work directly or indirectly,’’ he said.

Lawal said also that shop owners in the village had issues with previous PHCN management over the epileptic situation.

He said, there was an agreement with PHCN management that the craft village would be paying the sum of one hundred thousand naira (N100, 000) monthly.

He added that the AEDC, however, refused to honour the agreement when it took over from the PHCN management.

“ They increased the amount to N190, 000 and now we are seeing bills of more than N200, 000."

“In January 2016, they brought us a bill of one million naira, the following month they brought a bill of N500, 000 which we have complained about and written to them."

“We pay nothing less than N200,000 to N300, 000 monthly for electricity that we are not being supplied,’’ Lawal said.

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