The timing could not be worse. In the middle of a sweltering hot season where fans and air conditioners are vital for survival, the capital is facing a critical energy crisis. Since the early hours of June 15, customers of SEEG have found themselves unable to purchase EDAN units, the essential credits required to keep their prepaid meters running.
The utility company acknowledged a technical IT malfunction that occurred overnight. While official communications promised a swift resolution, no specific timeline for a full recovery has been provided, leaving thousands of households in a state of uncertainty as the days pass.
Frustration grows at SEEG headquarters
Desperate for a solution, many residents have flocked to the SEEG general management offices in the city center. However, they were met with silence and closed service windows. The lack of clear communication has only added to the growing public anger.
“We have no reliable information at all,” shared Eric Ovono, one of the many customers waiting in vain. “Everyone is just forced to wait until the system magically starts working again.”
For Jennifer Engouma, the situation has become a nightmare. After trying several smaller agencies, she traveled to the main office only to find the same technical wall. “They told me it was a connection issue. I have been without electricity for four days now. At night, we are just left to deal with the mosquitoes,” she explained, visibly exhausted by the ordeal.
Food spoilage and payment failures
The consequences of this digital breakdown are felt in every corner of the home. Marceline, another resident caught in the blackout, described the unbearable heat and the financial loss as her groceries rot. “The heat is intolerable, but we have no choice. I tried paying through Airtel Money as I usually do, but it fails every time,” she said. She noted that the system returns an error message in English, a confusing detail for many local users that highlights a system that has completely lost its bearings.
This incident raises serious questions about the stability of the digital infrastructure at SEEG. In an era where mobile payments and smart meters are the standard, a single software glitch has managed to paralyze an entire city, forcing residents back into a state of passive waiting and obsolete conditions.
As another night falls over Libreville, the city remains focused on the company’s servers. While there is a lingering hope for a quick fix, the bitterness among the population remains high. The promise of a modern, reliable service has once again been undermined by the extreme fragility of a system that collapses at the first sign of trouble.
