The Abia State House of Assembly has expressed concern over the prolonged blackout that has left Aba and other areas served by Aba Power Limited without electricity for six days.

The outage, which the power distribution company attributed to disruptions in gas supply, has affected households, businesses, artisans, and the manufacturing sector across Aba and neighbouring local government areas within its coverage.

To ascertain the cause of the situation, the Chairman of the House Committee on Power and Public Utilities, Aaron Uzodike, alongside committee member Stephen Ucheonye, visited the headquarters of Aba Power Limited in Aba.

The lawmakers said they were deeply concerned about the hardship the blackout had imposed on residents and the negative impact on commercial and industrial activities.

They explained that the visit was aimed at obtaining first-hand information on the circumstances responsible for the prolonged power outage affecting parts of the state.

Responding to the lawmakers, the Chairman of Aba Power Limited, Professor Barth Nnaji, and members of the company's management attributed the electricity disruption to the inability of the firm's gas supplier to provide gas for power generation.

According to the management, the gas supply interruption resulted from damage to the supplier's switchgear and starter motor, which affected its operations and prevented the delivery of gas to Aba Power.

Professor Nnaji appealed to residents and electricity consumers in Aba for patience and understanding, expressing regret over the situation.

He assured customers that electricity supply would be restored once gas delivery resumed.

Reacting to the explanation, Aaron Uzodike said the House Committee on Power and Public Utilities would continue to monitor developments to ensure that electricity is restored as quickly as possible.

He stressed that industries, businesses, and artisans cannot operate efficiently or grow in an environment plagued by persistent electricity supply challenges, underscoring the need for a lasting solution to the problem.