Bayelsa goverment summons PHEDC over power outages

Worried by a two-month continuous power ourtage in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, the state government has summoned officials of the Port Harcourt Distribution Company.

The move is coming on the heels of complaints from residents and business owners, who have been lamenting constant power cuts and is demanding explanations from the company for the development.

It was learnt that top officials of the Port Harcourt, Rivers State-based firm attended a meeting at the office of the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd.)

Jonah, the state Commissioner for Power, Partner Ogbolo and top officials, as well as some officials of the Ministry of Power also represented the government.

Before the government’s intervention, the state, especially, Yenagoa, had been in darkness for close to two months.

At the meeting, government was said to have rejected the excuse of the officials that the state was owing the distribution company huge amounts of money hence they decided to cut power supply to the state.

Ogbolo said in an interview that the government summoned the officials to get the true picture of the situation and the way forward.

His words: “As a matter of fact, the reason we have erratic power supply to the state is that PHEDC informed us that the state is owing them a huge amount of money for electricity bills.

And for that reason, we took up the matter seriously by summoning all the officials of the company including its General Manager, Transmission, who oversees all transmission functions.

“And for that reason, the matter was presented to Governor Seriake Dickson, who approved N50 million to be paid to the company so that they can resume work. I think that is one of the key areas.

He, however, said the PHED officials assured that they had had sorted out the issues with the youth hence normal operations had resumed in the area.

He further explained that during the meeting, the issue of estimated bills through which electricity consumers were charged for energy not consumed was also taken into account.