While some residents of
Port Harcourt have commended the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) for good supply of electricity so far during the ongoing soccer World Cup (Brazil 2014) others said the company had been irresponsible, insensitive and unpatriotic.
Jacob Nwafor who resides in Ovim Street at Mile III Diobu said during the Saturday encounter between Nigeria and Bosnia Hezergovina PHEDC made the residents of the area proud as it gave light all through the match.
“This is, however, unlike the day of the first match Nigeria played against Iran. PHEDC was unpatriotic and insensitive because we did not see a flicker of light”, Nwafor said.
Mr Emem Itoro, a resident of Ogbunabali said, “in both matches Nigeria played, PHEDC had remained what it is, one power distributing company that does not care for the interest of its customers.
“They never gave ligh, but few days ago, we were being asked to pay our bills for last month”.
At Nsukka Street in Mile 1, Christopher Ebi said the company was alive to its responsibility as it provides electricity that enable Nigerians to watch the Nigerian matches.
He urged the company to not only be consistent in providing light during the matches but also other periods to enable the resident’s live a meaningful life.
The case, however, was different during the first match Nigeria played with Iran as some youths in the city attacked the zonal office of PHEDC on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
The youths, according to The Tide source, were aggrieved that the company failed to provide light on the day and protested to the office.
The Tide gathered that on getting to the office, the youths were all more annoyed that the premises was sealed, hence the protest escalated from a peace protest to a violent one.
One source said, it took the intervention of the police to restore normalcy

Chris Oluoh

Illegal crude oil dump discovered by Naval Officers in Oteghele forest, Warri recently. Photo: NAN