Port Harcourt Residents Protest PHED’s Failure to Fix Faulty Transformer, Demand Electricity
Spread the love

By Katherine Abayomi

Residents of Wokoma, Wokomalane, Dim, Ovim, Obuagu, and parts of Obaziolu streets in Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, took to the streets on Monday, July 28, 2025, to protest the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED)’s failure to fix a faulty transformer. The transformer, located at Wokoma/Obuagu street, has been out of commission for over a month, plunging the area into darkness.

The protesters, armed with placards bearing inscriptions like “PHED You Are Supposed To Be Agent Of Light Not Darkness,” “No Light No Payment,” and “We Are Tired Of Paying For Darkness,” marched to the PHED office at Abeokuta street, opposite NITEL office D/Line, Port Harcourt. The protesters expressed their frustration and anger towards PHED’s seeming indifference to their plight.

According to Collins Ebo, one of the protesters, the area has been without electricity since June 25, and despite numerous complaints and letters, PHED has failed to take action. Ebo stated, “We have not heard anything from them, so today, we decided to go to their office to protest, so we can have light.”

Another protester, George Nwachukwu, revealed that PHED collects over six million naira in monthly bills from the affected area, despite the lack of electricity. Nwachukwu exclaimed, “They are collecting money without giving light, robbing us without a gun. We say no to it. They should come and put our transformer in order and give us light.

A female protester, who spoke to journalists, lamented the impact of the power outage on her business. She stated that she is paying her light bill despite the lack of electricity and struggles to preserve her food due to the heat. She revealed that all the food in her refrigerator has soured.

Other protesters expressed concerns about the negative effects of heat waves on their health and well-being. They urged PHED to take immediate action to restore electricity to their area.

Although no PHED official addressed the protesters directly, senior officials later met with the protesters and promised to resolve the issue within two days. The protesters hope that PHED will honor its commitment and restore electricity to their area.

The protest highlights the need for PHED to prioritize the maintenance and repair of its infrastructure to ensure reliable electricity supply to its customers. The residents of Wokoma and surrounding areas demand action from PHED and expect a swift resolution to their predicament.


Discover more from DE-PATRIOT

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply