Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Dr. Chidi Lloyd has dragged the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) before a law court for breach of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached between the Council and PHED for the restoration of electricity in the area.
However, hearing of the matter at the State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, was stalled due to the absence of the defendant (PHED) in court on Monday.
Lloyd had instituted a Five Billion Naira (N5.000.0000.0000) suit against the PHED for breach of contract to restore electricity in Emohua LGA after paying over Twenty Four Million Naira (N24,000,000) being the council’s part of the funds required for the restoration of electricity in the MoU entered with PHED in December 2022, for which the PHED has failed to carry out.
The Presiding Judge, Hon Justice, S.H Aprioku ordered the counsel to Lloyd and the Emohua Council to issue hearing notice on the defendant and adjourned the matter to 30th May 2023.
Recall that the chairman of Emohua, Dr. Chidi Lloyd had approved the restoration of electricity in the area after months of power outage occasioned by the activities of suspected criminals who vandalized the electricity line from Ahoada transmission sub-station to Emohua , and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) entered with the management of PHED.
PHED had during the signing of the MoU assured that electricity was going to be restored in the area before the end of 2022; they specifically promised to ensure that the people of the area celebrated the 2022 yuletide with uninterrupted power supply but failed to keep to their promise and their own part of the agreement, after the council paid its own part of the MoU.