N200m consumers' debt cripples PHCN operation in Uyo

The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) says that the N200 million owed it by consumers in the Uyo Business Unit of Akwa Ibom State, is crippling its operations.The Business Manager, Mr Chukwuemeka Otiji, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo that the debt rose to N200 million last month.He said the huge debt had crippled steady supply of electricity, complaining that, 'we cannot provide services regularly.'NAN recalls that the weekend of the country's 51st Independence Day anniversary witnessed long hours of power outage in the state capital.The business manager said that majority of the 33,000 electricity consumers in the business unit were not in the habit of paying their bills.'People have low inclination towards paying bills,' he said, noting that the PHCN had been unable to replace broken poles and fuel its vehicles as a result of the development.'Our people do not know that it is the bills that we collect that we use to improve services.'We are already overstretching ourselves because we receive no subsidy from government.'Otiji appealed to customers to pay their bills promptly to enable the business unit to provide better services in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.
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