By Geraldine Onyenweaku
The residents of Adepitan, Abioye, Ebun-Oluwa and parts of Haruna Rd. in Ifako_Ijaiye, Ogba, are calling on the authorities concerned to prevail on the Ikeja Electricity Plc to allow the milk of human kindness flow in their veins by restoring light to these communities after almost five months of black-out.
The entire community was plunged into darkness when the PHCN officials in that area purportedly claiming to repair a bad transformer, took it away in October of 2020, and has not returned it since.
Residents and businesses around these areas are experiencing untold hardship. Most well-to-do residents have resorted to providing their own light. This is no doubt expensive and has its health implications. There is the noise and air pollution resulting in such act. It has become extremely difficult to have a good night sleep .People wake up every morning grumpy and cranky from too little sleep. In fact, the health implications cannot be quantified.
Businesses have made huge losses; while the medium scale ones are incurring immense losses trying to power their operations. The smaller businesses; hair salons, vulcanizers, welders, restaurants and other small shop owners have practically gone bankrupt- many have had to close shop. The health implication is enormous. Insecurity has heightened as armed robbers are on the prowl.
Efforts by the landlord/tenants association of the affected streets to prevail on the PHCN officers to bring back the transformer and restore light has fallen on deaf ears. The landlord association said that they had met several times with the PHCN officers and were told to go back to their communities and implore them to pay the over N5Million debt owed by these residents to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria. The residents had complied and were able to come up with about N3.2Million but not quite up to the amount the Ikeja Electricity is demanding. The company insists that for the transformer to be brought back and light restored, the residents must look for new ways of coughing out the required sum, which is the total amount owed.
This new directive from the company, has of course provoked the ire of some residents who are prepaid users and do not owe the company. “Why must we be made to suffer for the wrong doing of others?” Some of them ask. Prince Emmanuel, a resident, has blamed PHCN officers for the accumulated debt, pointing out that when they failed to do the needful by earlier disconnecting those found to have defaulted in payment, they, by that singular act had brought about this situation. And now, they are making a whole lot people suffer for the wrong doing of a few. “This is not fair’. ‘This is evil “, he said.
For those owing, they have accused the PHCN officers of inflating their bills. Most claim that they get what they described as ‘crazy’ bills from Ikeja Electric Plc. One of the landlord’s spoken to claim that the least amount he has got from PHCN as bill in a month was N39,000, which he said came in the month of November, at a time when there was no light. He approached the PHCN officers to complain about the bill at a time when the transformer had been taken away and he had had no light, they promised they admitted the bill was sent in error and promised to address it. Others say they get as much as N49,000 from PHCN as bills in a month. Ikeja electricity Plc is also losing huge revenue. They have lost about four months revenue that would have accrued to the company. The bills for the months of November, December, January and February are on zero statement, and still counting, our reporter gathered.
On contacting one of the PHCN officers, attached to the area, Mr. Morgan, on why they have failed to return the transformer? He declined comment, advising instead, that matters of such should be directed to the business manager, Mr. Mathew. He, Mr. Mathew could, however, not be reached.
The public relations officer of PHCN, Felix Ofulue , was reached on line through a WhatsApp message. He promised to investigate the matter. Nothing has been heard since. Efforts to get him to respond has proofed abortive. The reporter still made efforts to reach his deputy, Mr.Akinola Ayeni. After several weeks of sending WhatsApp messages without response, our reporter finally called his line and was able to speak with him.
Mr. Akinola Ayeni confirmed that they had actually investigated the matter. According to him, he said the residents concerned should come together and find a way to jack up the amount of money they are willing to pay to PHCN, even if it is by N1.1Million.
Asked why PHCN officers find it difficult to cut off the light of those debtors in the area instead of lumping everyone together for punishment? He replied that the PHCN officers had expressed reservations in undertaking such act in the area for fear of being mobbed. He has, however promised to look into it.
But, residents said the argument does not hold water. They say that they are’ responsible’ citizens and would support any move by PHCN officers to disconnect those owing them. Some have, even, suggested that the company provide prepaid meters for those who do not have and migrate such debts to their accounts, making it easier to collect as they pay.
Some of the landlords in these areas found to be in debt, have been found culpable. The tenants in the debtor houses are peeved by this development. They said that they are surprised by this revelation, adding that they have consistently made their utility payments to their landlords, and are miffed to learn that the landlords have not been remitting same to PHCN. This has resulted in mass exodus as many people have relocated.
Many are of the opinion that the company surely knows how to bring the defaulters to book without punishing the innocent. Dennis Olowo, a resident said “this act by the PHCN men is not encouraging to those good citizens who have consistently paid their bills.” He said that instead of being rewarded, like is done in other civilized climes, they are punished. “Where is the justice in this?” he asked.
The harassed residents are anxiously waiting to see the end of this nightmare, while hoping that reason will prevail.