Power Supply Improves After Mass Protest In Diobu, PH

Power Supply in Diobu
area of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, has recorded some improvement within the past four days.
While some residents believe that the improved supply was as a result of the recent protest by consumers in the area, others attributed the improved electricity supply to the nearness of bill payment time.
Festus Lastman, an electrician in Mile Two said, “it has been better these few days in terms of electricity supply. One could see light lasting for about six hours unlike before.”
Lastman said, he does not know if the improvement was as a result of the recent protest by residents of the area over poor supply.
But Chief Akazie Josef, another resident of Ojiegbu Street in Mile III Diobu said, “yes we can see some noticeable improvement. But that is not enough. All we want is that supply in the area must be meaningful and consistent.
“I believe it is because of the peaceful protest that the residents staged recently. That was a signal and the issue with Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) is that when you tell them that they have improved, then you see them slack,” he said.
Also speaking in similar way, another resident, Mary Stanford, said, “actually the people have improved this past few days but that is what they normally do when they want to come and collect money. They kind of want to make you happy so that you can pay.”
But Christmas Ebi said he has not seen any improvement in supply.
“I have seen about two hours supply for the past two days and that is what I have been experiencing even before the recent protest,” he said.
Ebi who lives at Gambia Street in Mile II Diobu accused PHED of being interested in the money they collect from the consumers and not service improvement.
“I wonder what kind of business they operate. To me, this is corporate fraud and I pray that the incoming government by Gen Muhammadu Buhari should change all this for the common man to survive,” Ebi stated.
He urged Buhari to review the privatisation exercise because it is not working and that there were no indications that it can change.
“It has only changed from government operated to private investors and the result is nothing to write home about. I rather think it is worst because thousands  of persons working in the Power Holding Company of Nigeria have been laid off thereby increasing unemployment Federal Government has continued to bail the so called investors out with billions of Naira from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Yet no supply has increased, rather the bills paid by average Nigerian has continued to be on the increase. This is not business,” he maintained.
Authorities of the PHED had linked the drop in supply of electricity in Diobu and some other axis of Port Harcourt to the faulty Breaker at UTC.
An officer in the public communications department  of PHED, John Onyia said Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was fixing the breaker which packed up over two months.
He said, the UTC breaker impacts supply to Diobu and other parts of Port Harcourt city.
Residents of Diobu had recently staged a mass protest over epileptic supply in the area.