Cross River Assembly Summons PHEDC Over Extortion, Epileptic Service

 

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The Cross River State House of Assembly has summoned the management of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, over alleged extortion and epileptic service delivery in Cross River State.

The House also resolved to invite the company to explain why it has not been able to address public complaints about high tariff and reluctance in giving out prepaid meters.

This follows a motion of public interest raised by Hon Itam Abang, a PDP lawmaker representing Boki in the State Assembly.

Hon Itam Abang narrated how she has been inundated with complaints by her constituents over PHEDC’s “extortion.”

While moving the motion, Abang said: “light is very important to the existence of our people. It is unacceptable for our PHEDC to continue to exploit our people by giving estimated bills and hoarding of prepaid meters.

“We are voted to represent our people and my prayer is that PHEDC should be invited to this honorable House to explain why people are paying bills even when there is no light.

“Even when a community buys a transformer, PHEDC will only come with bills, which in most cases, are outrageous. We should invite the zonal office to tell us if this is not fraud”, she noted.

Also speaking, the deputy speaker of the assembly, Joseph Bassey, commended Hon Abang for presenting the motion.

He said he once interfaced with a manager of PHEDC over poor electricity supply in Calabar South and the burden placed on consumers to buy cables and fix faulty transformers.

He told the house that the manager said the duty of PHEDC is to “buy power and sell power and not to provide the infrastructure.

“Consumers who need power, need to buy cables and fish transformers”, the deputy speaker said.

He said he was disheartened by this and felt solar power is the way out, but wondered how many Nigerians can afford solar power installations.

Supporting the motion, the Chief whip of the House, Okon Ephraim, said the power situation in the state is very pathetic.

He cited the situation in Akpabuyo and Bakassi, where the PHEDC disconnected power for several months and still had the guts to distribute estimated billing to residents of the area.

He said this amounts to extortion as the PHEDC should not demand payment for services that has not been rendered.

He emphasised that where power is available, people will willingly pay for bills as against the present situation in the state, where constituents are compelled to pay for services that has not been rendered.

On his part, Matthew Olory, member representing Akamkpa, said his community contributed N300,000 to fix their transformer few months ago, but PHEDC still came to disconnect consumers and reduce phases in his community.

After her motion and comments by lawmakers, the Speaker, Eteng Jonah Williams, put the motion to voice vote and members overwhelmingly voted to invite the PHEDC to address the house on the issues raised.