A power outage in Akwa Ibom State recently left residents without electricity for four days, sparking a heated argument between Ibom Power Limited and its gas supplier, Accugas Limited. Both companies have blamed each other for the issue.

The former Managing Director of Ibom Power, Engr. Meyen Etukudoh, accused Accugas of stopping gas supply to Ibom Power because of unpaid debts. Etukudoh claimed that Accugas intentionally withheld gas, disrupting power generation in the state. He even suggested that Accugas was trying to undermine the efforts of the state government.

In response to his remarks, the Akwa Ibom State government dismissed Etukudoh from his position. However, the reasons for his removal were not clearly stated, causing some controversy. Some residents believed his firing was unfair and an attempt to silence his criticism, while others felt it was justified, arguing that his comments exposed the state’s financial issues.

Despite the temporary disruption in gas supply, Savannah Energy, which owns Accugas, resumed the gas supply. However, the plants could not be restarted due to their poor condition, which added to the problem.

Accugas fired back at Ibom Power, denying any fault in the outage. According to Okwudili Onyia, the Communications Manager of Accugas, the power cut was caused by a fault in the 132 KVA Aba-Itu transmission line, which prevented electricity from the National Grid from reaching the state. Onyia also emphasized that Accugas has been the sole gas supplier to Ibom Power since 2014 and has invested over $1.5 billion in gas development in Akwa Ibom.

As of now, power has been restored to Akwa Ibom, but the disagreement between Ibom Power and Accugas over the cause of the outage continues.