30th January, 2012
The Business Manager, Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, Odogunyan business unit, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Engr. Moses Jebutu, has called for support from royal fathers in the area.
He appealed to Baales and community leaders of towns and villages located between Parafa and Epe town to cooperate with him in order to enjoy more hours of electricity supply daily.
Jebutu made the appeal at a stakeholders’ meeting arranged by the PHCN Odogunyan business unit, held at the BOT event centre along Shagamu road, Ikorodu to sensitise consumers on the need to cooperate with PHCN staff distributing electricity bills instead of attacking them.
He enumerated the challenges faced by the PHCN in the distribution of the available energy and why it had to resort to load shedding to meet the needs of consumers.
“Instead of the people to understand our dilemma, they will pounce on our staff, beat them and in some cases, seize their equipment such as ladder, motorcycle and others,” he disclosed.
He appealed to royal fathers and community leaders in the area to educate the youths on the importance of cooperating with PHCN staff in the performance of their duties instead of attacking them.
Jebutu also spoke on vandalisation of PHCN equipment like cables and transformers and stressed the need to protect them. “The safety and protection of our workers and equipment are the civic responsibilities of the people,” he added.
He told the gathering of the availability of prepaid meters and warned those who have them not to tamper with them because “PHCN has an equipment that detects any form of tampering. A fine of N50,000 awaits anyone who tampers with it.” He sought the cooperation of consumers and urged them to pay their bills regularly.
In their response, the royal fathers and community leaders thanked the management of PHCN Odogunyan business unit for the meeting.
—Debo Adejayan