Port Harcourt DisCo cautions customers against illegal connections

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) has cautioned its customers in its four franchise states not to bypass its network.

The Manager, Corporate Communication, John Onyi, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.

He said that the company had lost huge revenue to such illicit activities by some customers.

The states are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers.

He said the latest of such unwholesome practices was the infiltration into its facility by some unnamed contractors in the state.

“The individuals, claiming to be electrical contractors, accessed PHED’s network without recourse to safety standards thereby overloading the existing infrastructure.

“PHED management has set up surveillance teams across the four states to ensure that no unauthorised individual infiltrates the company’s network without following due process.

“So, henceforth, anyone caught using our network illegally shall be prosecuted,” Onyi said.

He also said the PHED surveillance team, during a routine patrol, caught one Friday Ogbonna in the act illegally tapping into the company’s network around G.U Ake Road in Port Harcourt.

According the spokesman, the suspect was arrested and handed over to the police to reveal the identities of his accomplices.

“PHED has been facing immeasurable business challenges stemming from vandalism, energy theft and brutality on our staff on duty.

“We are also faced with the challenge of non-payment of electricity bills by some customers who erroneously believe that electricity is free, as well as illegal connection to our network.

“However, PHED is determined to deliver safe and reliable power supply to customers in its franchise area,” he promised. (NAN)

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