Prolong Blackout Paralyses Business activities in Bayelsa

  Business activities in the oil rich Bayelsa State, the core of the Niger Delta and the homogeneous state of the Ijaw Nation have been paralyzed owing to prolonged black out in the state.

  The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company which is  the main source of electricity supply of the state is no longer a reliable source of electricity sequel to alleged shape practices and dubious activities designed to exploiting electricity consumers.

  It is regrettable to note that since the state was connected to the National grid several years the authority was unable to install pre-paid meters to residences of the state capital and its environment.

  Instead of the authority to charge or collect electricity bills through pre-paid meter in transparent and honest manner, it went on to exploit and defraud the people by imposing on the people to pay their electricity bills by Electricity Transformers.

  The ugly experience the people of Bayelsa State have been encountering over the years has not happen in other states of the federation.

  It is sadden to note that in Bayelsa State whether Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company supply electricity or not; for one month, two months or three, by the end of the month the various light committees of each of the Electricity Supply Transformers in Yenagoa and its metropolis will collect light bills from electricity consumers and pay to the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company. 

  The electricity consumers in the state lamented that despite the several complains they have made to the state and the federal government to curb the excesses; fraudulent and unbearable activities of PHEDC and its Electricity Committees in the state that have seen the exercise as a means of survival to oppress the people and no attention have been paid.

  It would be recalled that since the state have been connected to the national grid electricity supply was rationalized in Bayelsa State capital each day that there was electricity supply in the state.

  The people are fed up. The state and the federal government should please take urgent steps to address the ugly trend to salvage the electricity consumers from the hands of light committees and PHEDC.

Written by Austin Genesis

Yenagoa.