Ibadan: Community ravaged by flood groans under PHCN billings

Residents of Agara community in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State who suffered loss of lives and property during the August 2011 flood disaster in Ibadan, have urged the management of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to help them look into the crazy bills brought to them monthly, especially now that the company's tarriff has increased. The community noted that during the months of September, October and November 2011, when there was power outage in the area, as a result of the relocation of their transformer, the aftermath of the August 2011 flood in Ibadan, they were still given arbitrary estimated bills covering those months.Residents of the area who spoke with the Community News, alleged inefficiency on the part of the management and staff of PHCN, saying that 'if they are efficient, why do they still bring estimated bills for the three months, when the company itself was involved in the relocation of the transformer from the water channel to a safer place.'PHCN is making life difficult for us. The company's marketers don't read the meter again, they only bring ridiculous estimated bills and when actual readings are taken, they don't reconcile the account again,' a landlord in the area who did not want his name mentioned, declared.'PHCN should give us prepaid meters and the management should not forget quickly what happened to NITEL. They should stop making life difficult for Nigerians,' they cried out.It was gathered that the community had written a protest letter to the management of PHCN on the arbitrary bills. One of the landlords in the area told the Community News that PHCN management had not done anything on their complaints.It was also gathered that the community may report the case to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if the PHCN management failed to put their records straight.
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