Isaac Job, Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel has petitioned the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), accusing the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) of hoarding electricity produced by Ibom Power Plant to residents in the state.

The petition was the government’s reaction to avalanche of complaints by residents of the State over the nefarious activities of PHEDC which resulted in frequent power outages made worse by exorbitant monthly electricity bills emanating from estimated billing system by the firm.

Residents of State also accused the electricity distribution company of total outage with bills not commensurate to their epileptic supplies and other malpractices that threw the people into darkness.

In his petition to the NERC, made available to newsmen in Uyo, yesterday, the Governor said “there is sufficient power generation from the state-owned Ibom Power Plant to provide steady and quality electricity supply to the entire state but PHEDC has refused to pick the load.”

In execution of its quasi-judicial function, Section 46 of the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005 empowers NERC to conduct hearings following receipt of petitions from aggrieved persons in accordance with Rule 14 of NERC Business Rules 2006. NERC has invited PHEDC for a hearing on this matter.

In her reaction, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Power, Menyene Etukudo said the state government was worried about the huge investment in power generation while ironically electricity supply in the state remained very poor.

Etukudo, who is also the Managing Director of Ibom Power Company, said Governor Emmanuel was not happy at the way the state was being treated by the PHEDC in the power distribution chain.

The Governor’s aide, however, explained that Akwa Ibom State would soon take delivery of 38,000 units of prepaid electricity metres from PHEDC for distribution to residents in the state.

He said such gesture was informed by the need to respond to demands of residents for prepaid metres in the State in line with NERC directives against use of estimated billing system.