Customers have expressed mixed reactions over the recent takeover by new electricity operators in the Power Holding Company of Nigeria successor companies.
Their feelings were based on claims of worsening power supply, which they said appeared to have punctured their faith in the new electricity era.
Many of them said their initial confidence had begun to wane too soon due to a renewed downward turn in electricity supply to homes and offices.
They said that areas where power supply used to be good had suddenly started to experience sharp decline.
The electricity consumers, who spoke to Power Talkback, were of the opinion that the technical operations of the PHCN successor companies must have been compromised in the course of the transition, which led to the sacking of many employees. Even the ones currently in service are said to be there on temporary employment basis.
The consumers lamented that their hope for a better experience had come under attack of a poor power supply all too soon.
When compared to what it was before the transition, some of the consumers complained that there had been poorer power supply since the takeover by private investors.
Mr. and Mrs. Emeka Nwoha reside in the Isuti area of Igando, Lagos State.
They said that power supply had been very bad in the area before the transition but added that it had become worse in the past three weeks.
They said, “We have not had power supply for several consecutive days. Our refrigerator has become a mere cupboard because we don’t bother to power it with the generator. Same goes for inability to iron our dresses for work.
“This is unfair. If the new owners know what to do about this ugly trend, they had better start doing it. They said there is an NIPP project that should improve supply once completed but we have not seen the impact.”
Another case was reported by a reader, who identified himself simply as Tope.
He said he resides around the Obasanjo Farms area of Ota, Ogun State.
He said that the electricity case in that area for some weeks now was tantamount to jumping from a frying pan into the fire.
He said that the area had been suffering acute poor power supply for over one year.
He added that until some weeks back, they enjoyed power supply only for a few hours before dawn.
He said, “But the power that used to be supplied some few hours from midnight is no longer regular. We have lodged complaints with the PHCN officials who promised that there would be changes but nothing has been done.
“Painfully, we see areas such as the Ogun State Housing Estate, Ota within the same community enjoying more power supply. We need urgent attention. Business is at its lowest ebb and life seems static. The new owners must show the difference.”
For Kunle Ajayi, he wondered if poorer power supply was the gift with which the new owners of the electricity distribution companies had to welcome their customers.
He said that it was amazing that since about the time that the new operators fully came on board, his place of residence located in the Akiode-Ojodu area of Lagos State, had been thrown into constant darkness.
“What have we done to deserve this? I hope this is not what we will have to face under this new dispensation. That will be totally unexpected,” he said.
Similarly, Funmike Akintobi, who resides in Aguda, Surulere wrote in a letter appealing for restoration of power supply to Adetola Street, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos.
Akintobi said that despite the poor situation of power in the area, his street had had an additional problem for months as their faulty transformer had not been taken for repair nor is there any guarantee for replacement.
Power Talkback observed that although most of the people blamed the drop in power supply to the inefficiency of distribution companies, the Discos have said that they are not to be blamed.
While they admitted that power supply had truly not been regular, they said what they supplied was largely determined by what they got from the generation and transmission companies.
On the idea that the worse trend in electricity supply had something to do with the ownership transition process, some spokespersons of Discos told Power Talkback that it was not so.
The spokespersons, who were recently re-absorbed by the new management of the Discos said the companies were in business to make money and would do everything within their power to ensure that electricity was available.
They said it was unfortunate that the poor supply was happening around this time.
They however added that the level of change being envisaged by electricity customers might not happen overnight and pleaded for their understanding.
“We will be glad to supply more electricity if we receive more because that is how we can make more money. We however hope that the situation will improve soon. We can only plead with our customers to bear with us,” one of them said.
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