Youths Chase PHED Officers Away From Community

Officials of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) who went to Eagle Island area of Port Harcourt to carry out disconnection of services were turned back by irate youths of the area.
The Tide gathered that the Youths were enraged that in spite near-total black out in the area, officials of the electricity company were always regular at coming to issue bills.
Our source said, “so when the officials of PHED came and wanted to mount their ladder, the boys got information of their presence and gathered and wanted to beat them up but one elder intervened”.
“The PHED officials pleaded that they should not be manhandled and the boys ordered them out of the area with stern warning not to near the area until the company improves on supply”, the source stated.
The power supply in Port Harcourt city has worsen since past three weeks.
Hon. Eric Ejigini, a resident of Mile 111 Diobu said, “PHED brings supply for just one hour at odd hours and some days you don’t even see a flicker”.
Ejigini, a former Councillor for Youths and Sports Development in Port Harcourt City said people were being frustrated. “You have to use your generator, burn fuel day and night and at the end of the month, PHED bills comes with high estimation”, he said.
He said the idea of privatization of Power sector by the Federal Government is a noble initiation but regretted that PHED has failed and its operation has become a shame to the people and government.
Ejigini particularly called on the Ministry of Power to prevail on the private investors running the system to provide meter card system to check fraudulent billing of innocent Nigerians.
“PHED’s operation is frustrating socio-economic growth of the state and the vision of industrial growth can never be actualized under the company’s system of operation in the State”, he said.

Enoch Epelle

L-R: Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Parradang, Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro and President Goodluck Jonathan, during the launch of new e-Passport at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, recently.