PHCN Rakes In N2.5m From Pre-Paid Meter By-Passers

The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Onitsha Business Unit in Anambra, has raked in N2.5million in the last one year through fines paid by pre-paid meter by-passers.

Mr. Tony Ebhodaghe, the Business Manager of the unit, said this in an interview with newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra, while answering questions on ways to check fraud in the new pre-paid meter system.

Ebhodaghe said that more than 50 by-passers, who were first offenders, were caught in the last one year of his resumption of office in Onitsha.

He said that each of the defaulters paid N50,000 each to PHCN through a bank draft to serve as a deterrent to them and their neighbours.

The business manager said the fines were to discourage them from illegally tapping of electricity.

Ebhodaghe said: “We track down these by-passers by monitoring the rate at which they recharge within a period of time through our computer re-charge data bank.

“If someone’s pre-paid meter had been registered with us and we found out that he re-charges within two months intervals.

“But at present he had not re-charged for about four to six months, we send our staff to investigate such a meter.

“Most times the verification team finds out that the customer had been cheating on PHCN and is not using electricity through his pre-paid meter again but through a wire he connected directly to the electricity pole outside his house,” he said.

Ebhodaghe said that another set of defaulters of PHCN operations, who the unit was looking out for “is those who sell pre-paid meters, which is an exclusive property of PHCN to members of the public.”

He said” “Until now, we are still soliciting the cooperation of members of the public to get those racketeering pre-paid meters, which we know one or two existed through complaints we had received already.

“I bet you, when we get at least one syndicate, his or her case would teach others a lesson, not minding whether the person might be a staff of PHCN or not within this Onitsha metropolis,” Ebhodaghe.