Kunle Kalejaye
17 December 2012, Sweetcrude, Lagos – The Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Ikeja Business Unit in Lagos has appealed to customers under the unit that are owning the company N3.4billion as at October 2012, to pay before the Yuletide period ended.
The Business Manager of the unit, Mr. Lanre Olaleye, said this during the PHCN/Customers Consultative Council meeting in Lagos.
He said, “As I speak, it is most disturbing that the Business Unit is being owed a total sum of N3,399,508,377.84. May I state here with all emphasis that those who fail to settle their outstanding electricity bills will not be allowed to use our electricity for these seasons and even beyond.”
Olaleye expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Army and the Police for the improvement in the payment of their bills, saying the situation could still be better.
He said the management of the Ikeja Electricity distribution Company had put in place a fantastic programme of incentive tagged, ‘Pay All the Outstanding on your Bill and get a pre-paid Meter Installed Instantly,’ while also urging all customers to key into the promo for the festive period.
He attributed the inadequacy of electricity supply in the unit to the increasing wave of vandalism, which the unit had been facing in recent times.
He added, “It is most disturbing and alarming to inform you that within the past six months, the business unit has witnessed the vandalism of eight transformers substations during which cables and other valuable materials were carted away.
“The names of the vandalised substations are Ladipo Bateye 11 (13/06/12); Oba Akinjobi (24/06/12); Adekunle Fajuyi (23/08/12); Ladipo Bateye 11 (31/08/12); 300kVA substations. The others, which are 500kVA transformer capacities are: Ladipo Bateye 1 (06/09/12); Herbert Macaulay 1 (09/09.12); Maria Lodge (26/11/12), and Ikosi Road (05/12/12).
Olaleye said the Federal Government was doing everything within its powers to ensure increase in energy generation in 2013, and urged customers to exercise patience as progress was already being made in that direction.
