Following persistent faults in the power transformer, constant outage and general inadequate supply of electricity, residents of Rumuomoi psychiatric Hospital Road and its environs have appealed to the management of Power Holding Distribution Company, PHEDC, to come to aid of the community, with a view to ameliorating the sufferings of the people in the affected areas.
Speaking on the development, one of the residents, Dike Ahunaya, said the power distribution in the area calls for urgent attention.
He stated that areas like Chief Worlu Lane, Ordu and Rumuobasi Streets suffered untold hardship as a result of poor power distribution to the area. According to him, the areas started having constant power failure when some officials of the PHED came and alleged that a group of youth prevented them from working in the affected areas. He stated that their reasons stemmed from lack of regular bills payment and tendency by the youths to issue threats at the slightest provocation.
He noted that since harmattan ushered in the dry season, power distribution in the areas had further degenerated.
“This is dry season, you will notice that the heat usually comes in the night, sometimes, throughout the night you continue to use hand fan to survive the night from mosquito bites, simply because light hardly comes in the night.
Another resident who spoke on the development, Elder Jumbo Martins, gave other reasons that may be responsible for inadequate power supply to the area. He listed challenges such as occasional Vandalization, fault from transformer and, most recently a defective line from the power line which required a total change as some of the challenges militating against regular power supply in the affected locations.
“Early last year, we were told that we have been connected to the federal line, meaning that we should expect an improved power supply, but along the line we started having issues, while we see others having constant light not too far from us”.
He also expressed concern over the case of a defected line from the supplying pole. He stated that this had been brought before a crucial meeting held to address the matter. According to him, some residents concluded that PHED would never take responsibility for changing the line. Based on this, Elder Jumbo stated that the committee agreed that residents should make contributions towards changing the entire line that is defective, based on the assurance that it will help solve frequent power issues in the affected area.
Although the elder queried why residents should resort to contribution when the PHED is there to collect bills, he said that it should be part of their responsibility to take care of their facilities.
