Connect with us

News

PHED, Ahoada Residents Tango Over Black Out

Published

on

Residents of Ahoada town, the headquarters of Ahoada-East Local Government Area of Rivers State including its environs and the authorities of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) are now at daggers-drawn over the cause of total black out in the area.
“The people believe that PHED is deliberately starving the area of electricity”, because “The company is not meeting up the revenue generation target of N20 million imposed on staff in the business unit by the head office in Port Harcourt.”
A leader of Igwa autonomous community in Ahoada, Hon Isaac Itigwe told The Tide that “Last year, we contributed over N150,000 to repair a transformer, replaced armoured cable that was stolen before we got electricity supply during the Christmas period.
“Few days after the Christmas, PHED staff asked us again, to buy a new transformer, saying that the former one was wrongly installed, which made a major component to spoil”, he said.
Itigwe said that “In spite of this commitment, we are not getting light commensurate with what we are spending.”
Another resident, Sir Collins Eyee, who runs a mega-printing press in Ahoada, said “PHED has grounded businesses in Ahoada due to lack of electricity.
“The impression here is that PHED is deliberately putting us in darkness so that they could raise the N20million through the backdoor”.
“Every day”, he said, “they complain of bad transformer, stolen cable, vandalisation of poles, but now residents have decided to task themselves by providing security to this facility”.
However, the Public Affairs Manager of PHED, Mr John Oyil, who claimed ignorance of the blackout in Ahoada, promised to investigate the issues raised but said “Ahoada neighbourhood consumers are heavily indebted to us.
“Out of 4,913 customers in the area, only 1,440 are paying light bills, yet, we service our partners who are suppliers of gas and energy”, he added.
According to Oyil, in December, last year, out of N36.22million indebtedness, only N4.5million was recovered, representing 13 per cent while in November of the same year, only N5.7million out of N32.18million owed was paid by customers in the area.
“Please, tell them to pay their debts, so that we can serve them better,” he urged.
But on the poor revenue generation, both Itigwe and a cold room operator, Madam Evelyn Okpara, attributed it to poor work etiquette, lack of maintenance of equipment and sheer wickedness.
“How can they complain of low revenue, when Abuja Quarters, Onugboji areas have no light for over two years because their transformers are bad?
“How can they have more revenue when Odiemereyi road has no light for the whole of October, November and part of December?, they asked.
A staff of Immigration Training School, situated at Abuja Quarters, who does not want his name in print, confirmed that the organization contributed N50,000 out of N600,000 charged residents for the repair of a transformer.
“But do you know that the transformer has not been working for the past one year? he quipped.
Although, Oyil appeared not to have any answer to these allegations other than “I will investigate”, The Tide gathered that PHED may not restore light to Ahoada and its environs for many months to come.
One staff at the Ahoada office told The Tide that “This is as a result of system failure”, adding that “It will remain so, until your people co-operate with us”.

Continue Reading

News

Why Wike Is Playing God In Rivers -Asari Dokubo

Published

on

A former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, has claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is “playing god” in the current political crisis that has pitched him against the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
Dokubo also chided President Bola Tinubu for, according to him, handing over “Rivers and Bayelsa” to the ex-governor.
“He is now playing god. It is dead on arrival, all those things that he is doing,” Dokubo said in a video that surfaced on X.com on Monday.
He added, “I advise my friend, President Bola Tinubu; what you are doing to all Ijaw, Ikwerre people in Rivers State (sic). You took Rivers state and gave it one man”
In April, Fubara revealed that the administration has raised the monthly Internally Generated Revenue of the state from N12 billion which he met upon assumption of office to N27 billion.
Dokubo described the development as commendable while alleging that the governor only had access to N6 billion when he assumed office.
“The governor had come out to say that the IGR for Rivers State is now N27bn up from N12bn. The governor is even being economical with the truth. When the governor came in, they were giving him a paltry sum of N6bn,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another twist to the ongoing crisis, Fubara on Monday said that he would set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
He disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticized recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
He stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”

Continue Reading

News

Investors, Tourists To Get Visa Within 48 Hours, FG Assures

Published

on

The Federal Executive Council chaired by President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a tripartite committee to streamline visa processes and acquisition for investors interested in investing in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this, yesterday, after the FEC meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Our visa processes are becoming cumbersome. The ease of doing business is also tied to our visa processes.
“Going forward, those investors, tourists would find it easy to acquire a visa within the next 48 hours,” Idris said.
The meeting which began on Monday was adjourned till Tuesday to allow for other “far-reaching” decisions, the information minister had told journalists.

Continue Reading

News

Panel To Probe Governance In Rivers Underway -Fubara …Swears In Iboroma As New Attorney-General

Published

on

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his readiness to set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
Fubara disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the new Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticised recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
Fubara stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”
Addressing the new AG, the governor said, “You have a big task. As it is today in the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting a panel of inquiry to investigate the affair of governance.”
The governor further said there was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his administration, saying, “If we disagree, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved.
“But it has become very clear that this disagreement there is no headway to it, and for many reasons, there is very visible evidence that there is sabotage, a deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.
“Maybe where they are they are telling them nothing will happen, it is happening here live, we have our own legislators that are performing their duties according to the Constitution. So that record is threatened.”

Continue Reading

Trending