Business
PHED Decries Loss Of Revenue To Thieves
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company,( PHED)says it has lost about 30 percent of her anticipated revenue to energy theft .
The Acting Chief Executive Officer of PHED, Engr. Kingsley Achife, who revealed this last Wednesday, during a Town-hall meeting on Customers Bill of Right in Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt frowned at the constant loss of her anticipated revenue to energy theft on monthly basis, a situation he described as unacceptable.
Achife disclosed that the firm is currently collaborating with security agencies and a crack team of anti-energy theft squad established to work on daily basis with the Revenue Protection Department ( RPD) of the company, to clamp down energy theft throughout its network covering areas.
“We can assure you that anybody caught in meter tampering, by-pass through diversion of load or hooking directly to power lines must face the full weight of law’’.
“We cannot continue to condone energy thieves in our network, it must be stopped. This is an era of energy accountability and for us to sustain the power industry, energy theft must be eradicated’’, he said
He however, urged customers and Nigerians to join in the war against energy theft, and threatened to arrest and prosecute any person, group of persons or corporate body found to be engaged in energy theft in its network
The Tide learnt that the spate of energy theft in PHED has become a major source of huge revenue leakage to the distribution company. The firm which is saddled with the responsibility of distributing power supply in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers States is said to be losing greatly due to energy theft despite huge amount it pays to buy gas and energy from the Energy Company.
Sources revealed that, with the warning and the setting up of the crack team of anti- energy theft, the company is battle ready to tackle the ugly monster called energy theft in the system.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.
