Mkpoikana Udoma
14 December 2017, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, has finally restored power supply to Woji in Port Harcourt metropolis of Rivers State, after almost three months of black out in the area.
Recall that residents of the area had last month lamented that they have spent over N1billion in running generators, due to the failure of the distribution company to supply power for more than two months.
The affected area were Federal Housing Estate, Nvuigwe, Alcon, Gbalajam and YKC area of Woji, in Obio/Akpor Local Government of the State.
PHEDC had blamed the power outage on equipment failure of its 33/11KV feeder supplying power to the area, as well as lack of access by its technical crew to the station for replacement of the transformer due to the dualisation of the Trans-Woji road by Reynolds Construction Company, RCC.
But the Manager, Corporate Communications of PHEDC, Mr. John Onyi, on Wednewsday announced that power supply has been restored two days ago to the Woji 33/11KV injection substation which supplies power to the area.
Onyi explained that the power supply was done after concerted effort by the technical crew of PHED who worked assiduously despite non-technical challenges in ensuring the restoration of the feeder after one and half months.
“The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company is pleased to inform her customers at Woji Estate, Nvuigwe and Alcon Road in Obio Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State that power supply has been restored two days ago on Woji 33/11kv Injection Substation.
“PHED is by this cheerful news of the restoration of supply, thanking all the residents of the affected feeder for their patience and understanding while the work lasted especially the stakeholders in the area who refused to be mobilized against the company,” Onyi said.
The Disco who acknowledged the support of her customers during the power outage, said it will not leave any stone unturned in her quest for safe and efficient service delivery to her customers.
The company also called on customers in the area to settle their outstanding electricity bill as at September 2017, adding that the “December 2017 bill will only be based on nine days consumption in November 2017 being the period the supply was restored.”
Confirming the development, a youth leader in the Woji, Mr Elvis Chisa, said “it is true that power has been restored to our area but we call on PHEDC to make the supply a little more constant.”