Electricity outage caused by the face-off between the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) and the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) has entered the 10th day with unpleasant impacts.
The IYC had, on December 23, besieged the offices of the PHEDC and forced the staff to shut down operations, occupying the premises to protest perceived poor power supply to residents.
The development, which resulted in a total power outage in Yenagoa and its environs, as well as Ahoada and some parts of Rivers, has made the residents to rely on generators with resultant increase in petrol demand and cost of living.
Dialogues and other efforts to resolve the conflict hit a brick wall, as the power distribution company claimed it was grappling with a debt burden of N16.5 billion as at November 2019, which hampered its operations.
The IYC subsequently challenged PHEDC to substantiate its claim that customers in Bayelsa owed it N16.5 billion.
IYC Central Zone Chairman, Kenedy Olorogun, said the debt claim was a ‘fairy tale’ to cover up incompetence.
According to him, information from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) showed that there was sufficient power at the substation at Gbarain, Yenagoa, but the PHEDC was not taking the power to homes.
The PHEDC and TCN had been shifting blames on the poor power supply in Bayelsa, with TCN, saying the PHEDC was unable to take up available power at its substation, while the PHEDC alleged it was not getting enough power from the TCN’s grid.
Olorogun said the N16.5 billion debt had no bearing with power supply to Bayelsa, which was the basis of the protest, adding that the claim was a cheap blackmail.
“The leadership of IYC Central Zone is challenging the claim made by the PHEDC that Bayelsa people owe electricity bill of N16.5 billion. The people of Bayelsa have not been enjoying uninterrupted power supply over the years; that is the reason we are protesting. How did we get such a huge amount when we are saying we do not see power?
“The claim is just blackmail, we are demanding service for which we are ready to pay, we are saying we can no longer pay for darkness and services not rendered. That is our position,” he said.
PHEDC Corporate Communications Manager, John Onyi, told newsmen that the development had taken a negative toll on the utility company, causing untold hardship to numerous customers.
He said Ahoada community also shutdown PHEDC office in the area, leading to blackout in the ancient town during Christmas.
“PHEDC staff are now living in fear as their lives have been threatened by the IYC who warned them not to be spotted around the offices and claim it has taken over offices in Yenagoa.
“In addition, the IYC threatened that any vehicle belonging to PHEDC spotted in the city will not only be seized and impounded, but will have its driver assaulted.
“The IYC, according to its leadership, is demanding uninterrupted power supply and removal of breakers.
“At various meetings previously held with the IYC, PHEDC made it known that installation of breakers was for administrative convenience of the company and not to jeopardise the life span of the equipment.
“On the 24-hour daily power supply, the IYC has repeatedly been told that limitations from the national grid does not allow that for now; PHEDC gets its share based on what is generated,” Onyi said.