By: Felix Ikpotor
Following the epileptic power supply in the Mile 2 and Mile 3 areas in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, some women in the early hours of today, stormed the office of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, at Mile 1 flyover, axis on a protest.
The protesting women matched through Dim street, Wokoma, Wokoma lane, Obaziolu, Dim lane, Egbuagu, Azikiwe, Ojoto streets down to the PHED office, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “No light, no bill,” “Dim street no light,” “No light, no payment,” “The heat is too much”.
The women lamented that the situation has brought untold hardship upon them, accusing PHEDC of serving them with darkness.
The protesters said their husbands no longer perform their conjugal rights at nights because of heat waves occasioned by lack of power.
They further lamented that they were counting losses in their businesses because of the poor power supply, adding that their husbands were no longer touching them at night due to heat wave.
Other concerns raised were their inability to preserve cooked foods. The women complained that despite their compliance to payment of bills, there was still poor power supply in the areas.
Speaking with newsmen during the protest in front of the PHEDC office, one Mrs. Charity explained that “we come to tell NEPA say no light for Mile 3 area; Ojoto, Dim and Wokoma street, no light for Mile 3 area. We dey pay bill we no dey see light. Them go just flash the light but we dey pay bill every month, we no dey see light, na em make we come to tell NEPA say if we no see light, no bill this month.
“Eh dey affect us by making our soup sour. As we dey now, even our husband wan climb us no way, heat too much, no light, the thing dey worry us, no charging of phone, nothing, na candle we dey use and candle go burn another man yard because eh fit put us for trouble, we no dey enjoy light.
“Make NEPA give us light. Every week we dey throw-way soup. We dey pay bill we no dey see light. Make them give us light, if them no give us light we no go pay bill this month.”
Charity assured that they will re-mobilize and come for another protest if the situation of power supply in the areas does not improve.
She further urged the government to come to their aid by ensuring that PHEDC gives steady power supply to the area.
