Poor Power Supply In Bayelsa: Group Slams PHEDC 7-Days Ultimatum

Apparently disturbed by weeks of total blackout in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, a group under the guise of Association of Bulk Bill Electricity Consumers (ABBEC), has given a 7-day ultimatum to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company PHEDC.

The oil-rich state especially the Yenagoa metropolis and its environs had been experiencing total blackout for the past three weeks.

The state chairman of ABBEC, Mr. Ebi Ozegbe said in a statement in Yenagoa that at the expiration of the 7-day ultimatum, the group would mobilize Bayelsans across the state to stage a mega protest against the power distribution company if the blackout continues.

The group lamented that PHEDC had already rolled out electricity bills for the month of January amidst darkness all over the state, thereby creating animosity among residents.

ABBEC complained further that as a result of the power outage, armed robbery and other criminal activities have increased in the state mostly at nights while businesses have been crippled.

The group also called for the immediate removal of the Business Manager of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, Mr. Moses Achi, accusing him of incompetence and gross misconduct.

“Crimes such as issuance of fake receipts and stamps, sales of transformers, placing of over 2,000 power consumers on zero billing, none remittance of monies collected to PHEDC and none documentation of some transformers among others, are being perpetrated unabated by staff of PHEDC”, ABBEC alleged.

The group, however, advised the Bayelsa state government to revamp the Imiringi Gas Station to enable Bayelsans enjoy uninterrupted power supply as it used to be when the gas plant was functional.

Meanwhile the Commissioner for Power, Partner Jim-Ogbolo has blamed the power outage in Bayelsa state on the vandalization of transmission station at Ahoada in Rivers state by some irate youths as well as a faulty transformer at the Gbarantoru gas station in Bayelsa.

The Commissioner, who stated this in a town hall meeting in Yenagoa , said the situation would soon be brought under control and electricity restored.

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