By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Washira Helene
Published on 2024-01-31 21:41:21
Frustration mounts in Douala as Eneo’s prepaid meter recharge system remains dysfunctional for a third day, leaving households reliant on the service scrambling for solutions and facing a darkened future. Since Monday, January 29th, attempting to top up Eneo prepaid meters has been futile, with only error messages and unresponsive customer service lines.
This lack of communication, similar to the darkness engulfing Douala’s homes, has sparked outrage. Agnes Ngoh, a resident of Bonamoussadi, expresses her frustration, “My fridge is full, my kids are restless, and Eneo has no answers! Three days in the dark—that’s just unacceptable!”
The consequences go beyond inconvenience. Homes face the grim reality of spoiled food, stalled work-from-home setups, and entertainment blackouts just as the AfCON reaches its peak. Small businesses are on the edge, with their livelihoods threatened by the lack of power. Marcel Ngoufack, a phone repair shop owner in Deido, laments, “This is killing my business! Without electricity, I’m paralyzed, and every minute costs me money.”
Transparency, or the lack thereof, fuels the burning resentment. Residents feel abandoned, left in the dark with no official timeline for when the light will return. Social media channels have become a platform for their anger, while local media amplifies the chorus of outrage.
Eneo finally broke the silence late yesterday, offering a flicker of hope through a public notice. It claimed, “Our technicians are working tirelessly to restore the system,” urging “some patience.” Their follow-up announcement this morning stated, “prepaid services have been progressively available since morning,” bringing cautious optimism, but questions linger.
The full impact of the outage remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Douala has been plunged into frustration and hardship. While Eneo promises a return to normalcy, many residents wait with bated breath, hoping the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t another error message.
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
