In an apparent last bid to recover the huge debt owed it by electricity
consumers in Rivers State prior to its eventual privatisation, the Abuja head
office of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has deployed task forces to
some of its units in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

One such team which has since began operation in districts
under the Rumuola Business Unit is mandated to recover a minimum of N150
million out of the N800 million debt owed by customers in this unit alone.

Confirming this to The Tide in his office
recently, the Task Force Business Manager of Rumuola Unit, Engr. Oliver
Ezeugwu, said that out of the monthly average bill of N180 million, customer
responses amounted to about N120 million, leaving an unpaid balance of N60
million which has, over time, accumulated to N800 million.

He, therefore, appealed to consumers within the area to
pay their outstanding electricity bills in order to avoid being disconnected by
his field officers.

The PHCN manager also expressed regret over his team’s
failure to carry out adequate publicity before embarking on the exercise.

He, however, assured that his men will use megaphones to
conduct such campaign while still doing their disconnection rounds.

The Tide’s investigations revealed that there has been an unusual rush by customers to settle their electricity bills at the PHCN Rumuola office following the uncompromising disposition of the task force which is insisting on immediate disconnection of customers with accumulated bills of N20,000 and above.

Some of the affected customers who spoke with our
reporter expressed surprise at PHCN’s decision to embark on such mass
disconnection exercise without any prior warning as had always been the
practice.

They also accused the task force of breaching all the
payment agreements previously reached between some customers and substantive
officials of the Rumuola station.

Udeme Brownson, a resident of Rumukalagbor, is one such
customer.

“Mine is a bill of N72,800 which was left behind by the
former occupant of the two-bedroom flat where I live.

“I have always paid my monthly bills since moving into
that house. Just a few months ago, I was advised by PHCN officials to consider
paying a little more than my monthly bill if I wanted to set off the entire
debt.

“I bought the idea and even started the process in
November, only for men from the same PHCN to come in this January and drop my
wires.”

Other major customer complaints against the Rumuola PHCN
include inaccurate billing system; no reconnection even after payment of the
necessary fee; and improper classification of commercial and residential
buildings.

Barring any further directive from Abuja the ongoing
exercise is expected to end in February, according to Ezeugwu.