Bayelsa youths besiege PHEDC office, protest over two months power outage

macfranc007 February 28, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Oluwatobi Bolashodun

- Bayelsa state residents stage a peaceful protest over two months power outage

- The protest was organised by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations in collaboration with Ijaw Youth Council, Niger Delta Self Determination Movement and others

Residents of Bayelsa state numbering hundreds on Tuesday, February 27, took to the streets of the state capital to stage a peaceful protest to the operational office of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) over two months power outage.

NAIJ.com gathered that the protest, which was organised by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, was coordinated by the state branch of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, in collaboration with Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Niger Delta Self Determination Movement, NDSDM and the Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN.

The protesters who were mainly youths carried placards with various inscriptions, such as “Enough of darkness in Bayelsa,” “No light no billing,” “We say no to blackout and over estimated bills in Bayelsa,” among others.

Chief Nengi James, state chairman of CLO, addressing newsmen and officials of PHEDC at the operational business office of PHEDC on Isaac Boro expressway, lamented the power situation in the state, regretting that the state has been in darkness since December.

He said: “You will agree with me that Bayelsa State and its environs have been experiencing epileptic power supply since part of December till date.

“To commemorate the World Non Governmental Organisations, NGOs Day, we are using this opportunity to register our grievances over the power situation in the state to the whole world today.”

Tare Pourri, chairman of IYC, Central Zone in his remarks, said it was regrettable that was only in Bayelsa State that this thing was happening.

“Bayelsa state has been thrown into total darkness, yet the company keeps forcing residents to pay for the light they have not consumed through overestimated bills by fraudulent light committees but we are giving PHEDC two weeks to begin the process of installing prepaid metres in households,” he said.

NAIJ.com previously reported that the system collapse experienced in the power sector between January 2 and 3, 2018 reportedly cost the federal government more than N4.6 billion revenue.

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A total of 9,162.7 megawatts (MW) of power were not generated as a result of non-supply of gas to power generation companies (Gencos) from January 2 to 4 2018 due to the system collapse.

This was learnt from analysis of statistics from the Advisory Power Team in the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, The Guardian reports.

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