*Reconnects aggrieved communities
Mkpoikana Udoma
13 February 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt —Two power stations in Rivers State that were hitherto shutdown by youths have been reopened, as discussions get underway following the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Power into the conflict between the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, Oyigbo and Ahoada-East Local Government Areas of the state.
Recall that youths from Oyigbo and Ahoada-East had two weeks ago shut down, separately, two different power stations in the state, after some communities in the Local Government Areas were disconnected from the power supply by PHEDC over a debt of N12billion.
The youths had for days barricaded the entrance of Afam Transmission Station and another Transmission Station in Ahoada Town, thereby throwing Bayelsa and parts of Rivers State into total darkness.
SweetCrude Reports gathered that it took the intervention of the Rivers State Ministry of Power and the Federal Ministry of Power to get the aggrieved communities and the Port Harcourt Disco, for a roundtable dialogue to reopen the power stations, although more discussions are still ongoing.
Both parties have been urged to maintain status quo, as the communities were told by the ministry to evacuate from the power stations while the company was told to reopen the power stations as well as reconnect the communities, while the dialogue is ongoing.
Confirming the development, the Head, Corporate Communication of PHEDC, Mr. John Onyi, said they have had series of meetings for discussion on the issue, while the next meeting would hold on the 23rd of February in Abuja.
Although issues discussed so far with the Ministry of Power were not disclosed, Onyi expressed optimism that with the invention of both the State and Federal Government, everything will be resolved amicably.
He explained that the company was not at war with any of its customers or community, but was only demanding genuinely the equivalent payment for what the communities have consumed in terms of energy, in order to sustain doing business in the power sector.
According to him, “The two power stations have been reopened based on the invention of the Rivers State Government who called us and the communities for serious roundtable discussions, and at the end of the day, the government said the status quo should remain which is where we are right now.
“However we have made headway as discussions on the two communities are on top gear and we believe that at the end of the day everything will be resolved.
“The Rivers State Government said we should reconnect them. The youths to have taken away the fetish items used in barricading the power stations.
“For Oyigbo, we were in the Federal Ministry of Power in Abuja last week to further discuss the issue of payment, and it is being looked into by the government. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power told us to maintain status quo, so we are still discussing hoping that at the end of the day we will reach a truce and everybody will be happy.”
The Port Harcourt Disco also commended the Rivers State Government through the Commissioner of Power, Mr. Shedrack Chukwu, and the Federal Ministry of Power for their prompt intervention in the matter.
“We also want to thank the Rivers State government through the state Ministry of Power for what they did by calling all the parties together for a discussion to forestall breach of law in the state and for us to reach a genuine accord.
“Also, we extend our felicitation to the Federal Government for the accelerated hearing they gave to the case,” Onyi said.
