By Najib B. Sani
The communities of Kofar Wase Ta gabas, Karofin Madaki and Railway Quarters in the Bauchi metropolis yesterday stormed the office of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to protest over power shortage in the areas for over nine months.
Our correspondent reports that the demonstration which started from the federal low cost area office of the power company to the state headquarters had youths of the affected communities and their elders participating.
Speaking to newsmen during the protest, the spokesman of the aggrieved demonstrators, Malam Muhammed Sani, lamented that they had suffered lack of power supply in the areas for over nine months despite co-operating with PHCN staff by paying the bills being served to them on a monthly basis.
He lamented that despite that they had been denied electricity supply.
He said they lodged complaints several times with the power company, but all to no avail and, therefore, threatened that if after the protest the company “do not respond” to their yearnings, they would report to the consumer protection council (CPC) and deal with any PHCN staff “who brings bills” to the communities.
He said: “We cooperate with them; we paid the bills they served us. Unfortunately, they did not take any action to normalise our power supply. “Therefore, we felt disappointed and we call on them to urgently stop this load shedding. Failure to take positive action would be forced to look elsewhere for assistance.”
When contacted, the business manager of PHCN in Bauchi, Engr. Aliyu Tanimu, declined comments, saying that only his boss who had travelled to Abuja could talk to the press on the matter.