Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Plc, PHED, Mr. Ete Pinnick, says the company is embarking on a cultural transformation aimed at improving customer service delivery and ensuring full metering coverage across its franchise area.
Speaking to newsmen during the PHED/NERC Customer Enlightenment and Complaint Resolution Meeting held in Port Harcourt, themed “We Learn Together, We Grow Together,” Pinnick said the engagement was designed to listen to customers and integrate their feedback into the company’s operations for better service.
“Today is about the customer. We created this forum to listen to the customers, get feedback, and work with them to see how better we can serve them,” Pinnick stated.
“We are driving a cultural transformation, and cultural transformation takes time, but I’m happy with the journey so far.”
He explained that the company is facing challenges due to transmission limitations, which affect power distribution to consumers in Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states.
“There are a lot of challenges on transmission. When the lines are down, we don’t have power, so we can’t distribute. But that’s not the customer’s problem, and that’s where we must do better, by communicating more effectively with them,” he added.
On metering, Pinnick disclosed that PHED’s metering coverage currently stands at 60 percent, with several ongoing projects expected to bridge the gap.
“Right now, we have 85,000 meters being installed. By the end of the programme, we should have installed about 135,000. The Meter Acquisition Fund, MAF, Phase 2 is also starting, with 16,000 meters allocated to our region,” he said.
“We’ve invested heavily in metering our Maximum Demand customers, and by the end of this year, we would have achieved 100 percent coverage in that category. If it were up to me, there would be no postpaid customers at all.”
The PHED boss also lamented what he described as an “entitlement mentality” among some electricity consumers who fail to pay their bills despite enjoying consistent supply.
“Our biggest challenge is entitlement by customers. People don’t want to pay for electricity. The government still subsidizes all other electricity bands by 60 percent except Band A. For instance, Afam community in Oyigbo consumes about N1.2 billion worth of power monthly and doesn’t pay a kobo,” Pinnick revealed.
“Until we reach the point where everyone pays for what they consume, progress in the power sector will remain slow.”
He, however, assured customers that PHED remains committed to continuous engagement and improvement.
“Forums like this help us understand what customers are saying. When we leave here today, we’ll take their feedback and build it into our programmes. We do this every quarter to ensure consistent improvement,” he said.
Also speaking, Engr. Meshack Orji, Head of Electricity Network at the Rivers State Ministry of Power, reaffirmed the state government’s partnership with PHED to enhance power delivery across the state.
“The Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has done a lot of intervention programmes in the power sector, including the donation and installation of transformers in communities with power needs,” Orji said.
“Although electricity distribution is the responsibility of PHED, the state cannot leave our people to suffer power issues. We will continue to intervene where necessary.”
He further assured that the state government is working on regulatory matters and structural reforms in the power sector to ensure sustainable improvements.
“The issue of state takeover and regulatory alignment with NERC is a process. We’re not rushing it, but when concluded, Rivers State will emerge stronger and better positioned in the power landscape,” Orji added.
The quarterly customer enlightenment meeting, held under the supervision of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, brought together consumers, civil society representatives, and stakeholders to address customer grievances, metering progress, and service delivery challenges within the PHED network.
