Mr Akpan ( cassettes seller)
Mr Akpan: “haha, my brother you say positively ke. For this matter, there is no positive, only negative. I sell music CDs. You know this my business. People only dey buy a CD when I play it and they hear it on my speaker. They will like it and ask me “ha which music is this you are playing.” From there they buy. The light matter have tire me, let me not lie. It was bad before but at least by 10:00 in the morning, they will bring it and then take it by 2:00 afternoon. From that 10:00 I will play my music until 2 o’clock. So by that 2 when they take it I will run the generator to 4 o’clock when they will bring the light again to 9:00 but me I close by 8:00″
So now it’s different, right?
Mr Akpan: “yes na, it’s not like before now. Sometimes they bring the light and they take it less than 20 minutes. Even for the last 6 days, no light. And fuel is now high, 205 per litre. How much do I make as profit that I will be using generator from morning till night. My guy, I just tire. For 3 days, I have sold only 4 cassettes. Sha some of my neighbours say they like it as I don’t see light to play my music. That the noise is too much but I don’t care oh. It’s market I try to market my business, my brother.”
Faustina (student)
“It’s affecting me badly. My phone is always low. Now my charger is with me everywhere I go, like it’s MTN. There is nowhere I don’t take the opportunity to charge because I am not sure of light at home. And I don’t like it because they could steal the phone easily in a public place. Even in church, I sit only where there is a socket. I don’t like it but it is what it is. My phone is my little space, if I can call it that, because It entertains me. And once it’s switched off, I get bored. And also, I need it for people to reach me. This light situation is not helping at all.”
O. Z ( generator repairer)
“It’s not like I like as there’s no light but I can’t deny that it has been good for business. Almost every day I make at least 10k. People call me left, right and centre for work. The generator is now the only sure source.”