Residents of Tumfure in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State have raised the alarm over a persistent power outage in parts of the community, accusing the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) of neglect and failure to address a defective transformer that has plunged the area into darkness for nearly a month.
Our correspondent reports that the residents, through a petition dated August 4, 2025, and addressed to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), called for urgent intervention over what they termed “a clear breach of regulatory responsibilities” by JEDC.
The petition, signed by a community leader, Abdulkadir Shehu, was obtained by our correspondent on Friday.
“Our people have been thrown into avoidable hardship because JEDC has refused to repair or replace the ‘Almajiri transformer’ that supplies electricity to over 100 households and several small-scale businesses,” the petition stated.
The petitioners lamented that multiple visits to JEDC’s office in Gombe and repeated calls to officials at the company’s headquarters in Jos had been ignored.
The letter partly read, “Despite all our efforts to engage with them, we’ve been met with silence and excuses. We are on Band A, which, by NERC’s own regulations, guarantees us no less than 20 hours of power daily. But for almost 30 days now, we’ve had nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that Band A is the highest power supply category under the Service-Based Tariff system introduced by NERC, meant for areas with strong power infrastructure and regular supply. Residents say the classification has become meaningless as they remain in darkness, yet many of them on prepaid meters still receive deductions.
“This is beyond technical failure; it is gross institutional negligence,” said Halima Usman, a local food vendor. “I can’t run my freezer, my food spoils, and my daily income has dropped. JEDC is killing our businesses.”
According to the residents, JEDC officials have subtly suggested the community should contribute money to replace the transformer — a proposal they flatly rejected.
“We will not fund what the law says is the responsibility of the distribution company,” Shehu added. “That would amount to illegal cost transfer, and we are ready to seek legal redress if NERC does not act swiftly.”
Referencing the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005, the community argued that it is the duty of electricity distribution companies to maintain and replace faulty infrastructure, not customers.
As of press time, efforts to reach the acting Head of Corporate Communications for JEDC, Saratu Aliyu, were unsuccessful. However, a company source who spoke under condition of anonymity claimed the issue was already receiving attention.
“The company is aware of the transformer problem in Tumfure and it’s a top priority,” the source said. “Even without a petition, we are committed to resolving it. I believe our technical team has already been mobilised.”
