By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The Cross River State House of Assembly, CRHA, has summoned the management of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, in Calabar, to appear before it over crazy electricity bills and power outage in the state.
The summon followed a motion moved by a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, female lawmaker and member representing Boki state constitiency 1, Rt. Hon. Dr. Itam Abang, who raised the alarm over outrageous bills distributed to consumers.
The lawmaker stated that the power outage and outrageous so called estimated electricity bills have been responsible for the collapse of most businesses in the state.
The motion was raised by Abang at the plenary, shortly after the Speaker of the House of Assembly swore-in the newly elected lawmaker in the February 26 bye-elections, on the platform of the PDP, to represent Akpabuyo state constituency, Dr. Ekeng Effiom Edet, to replace late Hon Elizabeth Ironbar, who passed on due to illness.
Rt. Hon Abang said, “I am moving a motion that the management of the Porthacourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, operating in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, be summoned to appear before this honorable House for explanation.
“The electricity providers used what is called estimated bill on some of its customers, while on the other hand they collect money from others via pre-paid metres.
“What we realized is that light is hardly provided. Of course, at the end of the day they give outrageous bills.
“You cannot imagine a situation where someone ends up with about N30,000 bill per a month, and he is asked to pay outrageous bill of say fifteen thousand naira as electricity bill, even when he hardly gets electricity.
“He pays the money for estimated bill. It’s so bad that their officials go up to the villages to distribute electricity bills and make the people pay for electricity they never consume.
“Mr. Speaker, we represent a people and and our people are crying that they are shortchanged. Why are they paying more than what they consumed?”
A resolution of the Cross River State House of Assembly, read by Speaker of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Eteng Jonah Williams, stated that a five-man committee be constituted, to look into the matter and report back to the House after the PHEDC management must have appeared before the House.
