Residents, Communities Declare Support For PHED, Calabar Zonal Boss, Engr Igwe
Residents of Akpabuyo/Bakassi and Iman Communities and environs in Cross River State have expressed their unflinching support for the management of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution, PHEDand the Zonal Manager, Mr Collins Igwe and completely disagree with the ultimatum issued by some persons calling for his removal or revocation of PHED’s operating licence.
An article published on Opera news, on January 31, 2022 had said a group of persons were demanding for the resignation of the Calabar Zonal Manager of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc.
Speaking in favour of PHED and the Calabar Zonal manager a resident in the community said; “This is politically motivated”. The manager before Collins Igwe did the unbelievable, subjecting the masses to untold hardship and there was no call to revoke PHED license nor the removal of the manager from office even when we embarked on a protest.
” Now, we have a man who is even giving us a listening ear, restored power supply to rural areas and now people are calling for his removal. It will not work. This is cheap propaganda and we will not allow it.”
Some resident of the Communities are alleging that some influential persons might be behind the propaganda either because they are not paying their bills and have seen that Mr. Igwe will not support them in their fraudulent acts.
According to a resident who do not want his name printed, the Zonal manager is seen as person who will always come and disconnect them and would not enter into any agreement to short-change his organisation, hence they some person as not comfortable with him.
“They have now called some individuals, and sponsor them for the destructive work they are doing”, he alleged.
The community insists that Mr Collins Igwe’s team has achieved a lot within a short period of time.
1. His office is open to all. He hears from all sides affected and takes our plight to heart.
2. Residents have enjoyed an increased number of hours of light supply. Especially during the festive period and weekends, such that a resident event asked,” Are we still in Nigeria?” because he was surprised to see five daysof twenty four hours of uninterrupted power supply.
3. Under the leadership of Collins Igwe, more people receive bills and visit pay point positioned at their doorstep. As bills are properly dispatched. People now rush to pay their bills.
4. More communities are expecting their transformers to be commissioned this week sat, Feb 5. 2022, Courtesy to the efforts of Collins Igwe who engaged the residents of the areas some days ago.
Also, expressing their appreciation, the Iman Community and environs, a community of over 270 compounds recounted their experience before Mr Collins assumed office, noting that his predecessor could not help them even when you consider the security implication of not having power supply in a community hosting the Calabar Custodial Centre. They commended him for collaboration and synergy with the communities.
Therefore, the in clear and strong terms declared that the two weeks ultimatum is unwarranted, and the information being peddled is untrue and calls on the writer of the empty article and his group to withdraw the post and consequently apologize to the PHED Zonal Manager, Calabar who means so well for the residents.
They also announced to the public that the previous post has been debunked. That Collins Igwe is rather facing some challenges from people who do not want to pay their electricity bills or have forgetten that any energy consumed must be accounted for.
