Electricity customers protest against PHEDC in Rivers
Port Harcourt -Aggrieved electricity customers in Rivers State are protesting the continued stay of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, in the state.
They are asking the power distribution company to leave the state over estimated billings.
The protesters, under the auspices of Concerned Electricity Consumers in Rivers State, marched from Sharks Stadium in Ilorin Street, old Port Harcourt Township, passing through Hospital Road to barricade the entrance of PHEDC head office in Moscow Road.
The protesters came out with placards with different inscriptions such as, "No to estimated billings", "No to illegal disconnections", "Give us prepaid meters", "Residents of Ogbogoro rejects N3.6 million outrageous demand by PHEDC to supply power to the area," among others.
Leader of the protest, Enefaa Georgewill, said the action was a warning.
Georgewill, who is also the Chairman of Rivers State Civil Society Organisations, accused the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, of failing in their mandate to properly regulate the electricity distribution companies in the countr y.
"NERC which is supposed to regulate and police the electricity distribution sector has failed, they are omancing the Discos instead of policing them.
"Estimated billings is daylight robbery, we say no to over billing of electricity customers. If a man has failed, the right thing to do is to send him packing. Are you aware that PHEDC is selling the free prepaid provided by the federal government? They should pack and go.
"This is just a warning protest, we will go home and mobilised, then come again in full force soon and when we come, we will not leave until our demands are met," he said.
Also speaking, a victim of estimated billing, Kofi Bartels, said: "We are asking PHEDC to stop sending us outrageous, illogically high electricity bills and illegal disconnections of customers."
Meanwhile, the management of PHEDC, has assured that the company was open to dialogue with aggrieved customers, as a responsible organization.