Addu Treated as Second-Class, Says Mayor Amid Ongoing Power Crisis

Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar has voiced strong frustration over the State’s ongoing failure to address the city’s persistent electricity issues, accusing authorities of treating Addu residents as “second-class citizens” when compared to the capital.

The comments come in the wake of yet another wave of power outages in Addu, this time blamed on a technical failure in one of the engines supplying electricity. The problem, which left large parts of the city without power for hours at a time, has stirred fresh public anger and the mayor isn't holding back.

Unequal Treatment Compared to Male’

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mayor Nizar pointed to the stark contrast between how the State responds to similar issues in Male’ and how it handles crises in Addu.

“When Male’ experienced a five-hour power outage, it was immediately treated as a national crisis. Authorities rushed to provide updates and promised a quick fix,” Nizar wrote. “But when the same happens here in Addu repeatedly — we’re expected to accept it. This double standard is unjust and unacceptable.”

He went on to question why Addu continues to suffer from an unreliable power supply nearly two years after the issue first surfaced. According to the mayor, despite repeated complaints and ongoing disruptions, there’s been no meaningful action from the government to resolve the matter long-term.

Residents Fed Up as Outages Disrupt Daily Life

While Fenaka Corporation announced that the technical issue has been resolved, residents say the past three days have been especially difficult. Various parts of Addu have been hit with frequent power outages, affecting homes, businesses, and public institutions.

“Every hour, a different area loses power,” Nizar said. “People’s electrical equipment is getting damaged. Shops are losing stock. Schools, clinics, and even the Addu City Council office were left without electricity twice today alone.”

The mayor emphasized that these power cuts are more than just an inconvenience. They are actively disrupting public services and causing financial losses for families and small businesses.

A Problem That Won’t Go Away

Addu’s electricity woes are not new. Many residents have been dealing with inconsistent power supply for nearly two years, with only temporary solutions offered along the way. The growing frustration has prompted renewed calls for the government to prioritize infrastructure development in the southern atolls.

Mayor Nizar’s remarks echo a growing frustration among locals that decisions made by the central government consistently prioritize Malé, while communities in the outer islands are left behind, especially during times of crisis.

With no solid long-term solution in sight and only vague promises from utility companies, residents are left asking the same question: how much longer will they be expected to live with a problem that clearly isn’t going away anytime soon?