Kindly let us know what the problem is with power supply around Cornerstone Estate, MKO Gardens and other estates within the environs (in Lagos) as there is no power supply sometimes for days. The irony of it all is the main Ikeja PHCN office is a walking distance to these adjoining estates around the area. Or could it be true that because virtually all residents in these area are on prepaid meter, PHCN is always reluctant to rectify any major faults for them since there will be no 'greasing' of palms? Please use your good offices to let us know what the problem is all about.
Afolabi Adeyemi, afolabiadeyemi@gmail.com
The power problems affecting MKO Gardens and environs is the same affecting other customers within our network. Supply given to the area is determined by the load allocation given to our company from the grid. The customer should bear with us. With increase in generation, they will definitely experience improved power supply.
Pekun Adeyanju
I'll like to express profound appreciation for your prompt remedial action to people's complaints. Sir, on Massah St., off Odonla Road, Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos, between the house of a Customs officer (No.9) and KUNFAD Nursery School (No. 13), we have two electric poles: a distance of less than 10 metres. However, the cables connected to the two poles are now so slack that they are now about touching the fence of House No.11. Grateful for you prompt intervention.
Adebisi, Caretaker of House No 11, Massah Street off Odonla Road, Odogunyan, Ikorodu, jokzy1@hotmail.com
The complaint from Massah Street, Odogunyan, of sagging cable, has been corrected.
Pekun Adeyanju
I live in K&B, Abaranje, Ikotun (Lagos), where power supply has not added up to six hours this month. Meanwhile, others around us enjoy fair power supply. It was not so before. This has led to two problems due to generator noise and smoke. Please help.
Oluyinka Adefila, aykab@rocketmail.com
You can call the business manager on 08033217152
I like to know from the Abule-Egba business unit of the PHCN on why the faulty transformer at Laditoun in New Oko-Oba for the past two weeks has not been attended to. On enquiry, we learnt that the oil in the machine is low and requires additional oil to be added. But to our dismay, we learnt that the fitters have no vehicle to move from Ijaiye to Laditoun to perform this task. We urge you to appeal to PHCN to do the needful urgently.
Femi Olubayo, faribanusi@jhplc.com
The transformer at Laditoun in New Oko-Oba has been repaired and is presently in good condition.
Pekun Adeyanju
Thank you for this opportunity to make our complaints about the appalling state of electricity supply in recent times. I stay at Olusoga Street, off Alafia Street, Mushin (Lagos) and for about two weeks now, we have only been having about one to two hours of electricity supply a day. The suffering is horrendous, given the humid weather we've been having in recent times. Kindly help find what could be responsible for this turn of events, as this is an area that had hitherto enjoyed good electricity supply.
dratakinlade@yahoo.com
Olusoga Street, off Alafia Street, Mushin is under Eko Distribution Company.
Pekun Adeyanju. You may contact the officer in charge on 08033201932
God bless SATURDAY PUNCH for providing this platform that bridges the gap between the PHCN and the public. I'd like to use this medium to express my displeasure at the current three-days-on-one-day-off power sharing system that is being in implementation at Bakare Opesa St., Papa Ashafa, Agege (Lagos), for the past four years. Even on the three days when we are supposed to be 'on.' we don't have supply for more than three hours out of the possible 72hrs. Every month, the transformer breaks down, damaging our home appliances in the process and we go months without power supply. I'd like to know who actually is responsible for the procurement of new transformers in Agege and Lagos in general. Is it the local, state or Federal Government's responsibility, or do the people have to contribute every time? We really need help at Bakare Opesa, Agege. All concerned persons and parastatals should take note.
Dozie Roberts, dozieroberts@gmail.com
The problem at Papa Ashafa, Agege, is that the feeder is overloaded. The Ikeja Distribution Company has proposed the raising of an 11KV Ekoro Feeder to de-load Oko-Oba and Abule-Egba. This project will improve power supply to Papa Ashafa, Agege and environs.
Pekun Adeyanju
Thank God and SATURDAY PUNCH for this forum. I live at Oke Afa, Magboro, just before MFM on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. I just moved there and I've noticed that the electricity situation is bad. We only have electricity about two hours every two days; it only gets better just before PHCN bill comes. Once the bill comes around the 20th of every month, we don't have electricity till the next month. I wonder why this is so. Now, it just comes for five minutes every three days, how come?
Busayo Dinef, busayo.dinef@gmail.com
Magboro on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is under Sagamu Business Unit in Ibadan Distribution Company. Ojodu Business Unit under Ikeja Distribution Company's network terminates at Arepo on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Pekun Adeyanju
Thanks for having this medium to air our grievances. For the past nine years, those of us in Mowe, Ibafo and environs have been enduring unpalatable treatment from PHCN in Ogun State. Power supply is erratic, staying for weeks without light and when we're favoured to have it, it's dim. For the past four weeks (March 13 to April 10, 2012), we've not had more than five hours of electricity supply. Yet, we're served with high bills. The annoying side of the story is that Ofada and Owode towns will have fuller and steady supply than Ibafo and Mowe, yet, we pay more than they do. Various reasons had been adduced: inappropriate cable used for connecting power supply to the towns, wrongly connecting us to Abeokuta instead of Sagamu and the political maltreatment meted out to these towns. Yet, no solution in sight and we're perpetually left in that condition. May we know the true situation of things? It's not surprising why the big churches around here have to dump power from PHCN for independent power generation or could we be the scapegoat for losing such lucrative customers? Please, give us electricity in Mowe and Ibafo.
Monday Mojeed, mojeedmonday@yahoo.com
Magboro, Mowe and Ibafo on Lagos Ibadan-Expressway are under Sagamu Business Unit in Ibadan Distribution Company.
Pekun Adeyanju
I live in Idimu, on Anuoluwapo Street (Lagos). We've not had power supply in three months. As I write this piece, I don't know the cause of the blackout. Once in two weeks, we're given one hour supply. The stories as to why we're in darkness are many. The one I want to believe is that of the three arms of the transformer serving Anuoluwapo, Imala, Ajilekege, Ewenla and Ona-Ara streets, only one arm works. We've also been fed stories that PHCN men are working. Please let us know what our issues are and come to our rescue. If our transformer is bad, kindly use your good offices to replace it.
Law Ezeh Jr., neziweze@googlemail.com
SATURDAY PUNCH has scored a bull's eye again in newspapering by giving millions in Nigeria a large platform on which to express whatever irks them about electricity. Lack of electric power is a problem in our country because for decades, we left the management of this essential service in the hands of callous people. While other countries are riding the crest, we keep going into the deepest recesses of the Stone Age. My wife and I moved into the Oko Filling area facing the Igando General Hospital last November. Between then and this March, we haven't had more than 80 hours of power supply. It's more terrible for Segun Alaka Street and its environs. One hardly knows who is responsible at the Igando PHCN office. Their officials are hardly responsive to any complaint that is laid at their office. It's frustrating staying in darkness every night without knowing the cause behind such. Thank you SATURDAY PUNCH.
Chukwudi Iheanacho, iheanacho.chukwudi@yahoo.com
The problem at Segun Alaka Street in Igando is that of overloaded transformer. A relief substation named Itoko substation has however been proposed for the area. This will be actualized very soon.
Pekun Adeyanju
I'm one of the ardent readers of SATURDAY PUNCH. Commendation must be given to the paper for providing first of its kind platform of social interaction between the operators and customers. I believe that if such a platform had existed before now, renewed mutual relationship will be the hallmark of the PHCN. It's in this regard that I would like to bring to the notice of PHCN officials in Ikorodu about an instance of an electric pole that fell on Sunday at Ikenne Street, after Mechanic Village, off Isawo Road. The incident, which is yet to be resolved, has been turned to an avenue of making quick money by the landlords association and official of PHCN in whose the area is under its distribution. As at now, the officials have brought in a pole after collecting money and they expect more money before the pole can be erected and connected to the power grid. I call on the top management of the PHCN to control their men as this trend does not portend a good image of the company.
Olabisi Michael
The situation at Ikenne Street off Isawo Road in Ikorodu concerning a pole that fell is a ridiculous one. The community on its own decided to buy the pole without even contacting the manager of the Owutu Undertaking. This was confirmed by a community leader in the area, Mr. Olakitan. However, the pole has been erected. Customers are advised to always contact the managers of PHCN stations in their areas and not resort to illegal collection of money from community member purportedly on behalf of PHCN.
Pekun Adeyanju
Let me first thank you for this very useful column to address PHCN consumers' issues. I stay at Ichie Kris/Cottage Way area of Lekki 1, but PHCN has made life in that area unbearable with seizures of power for days on end without respite. When they do bring it at all, it only lasts for a short time – effectively we may not have supply for more than four hours in as many or more days. More so, there is a sub-station in the estate which makes one wonder what the issue really is. Kindly assist to appeal to the PHCN authorities to come to our aid. Staying in Lekki does not mean we all have the means to become independent power producers and there are more crying needs to deploy such resources. We want more of action in terms of steady power supply and less of promises and rhetorics. Thank you.
G. Sadiq, g_sadique@yahoo.co.uk
It is so unfortunate that most times when there are local faults within neighbourhoods, not a few of our customers have the conjecture that we should know without necessarily informing/reporting such lingering faults. But it is imperative to say that this is a misconception. Our valued customers, as one of the stakeholders, need to collaborate with us by intimating us (on time) in case there are electrical faults/facility failures within their vicinity; instead of feeling unconcerned and allowing such faults linger on unnecessarily.
However, the faults in respect of Ichie Kris/Cottage Way area of Lekki Phase1 was a case of a dropped J&P fuse, which was not reported on time by the residents of the area. But as at now, the faults have since been rectified and normal power supply restored to the affected areas.
Idemudia Godwin
The Punch
Nothing moves as planned in Nigeria,. By the time they were fixing the meter cards, i know that the PHCN officials will kill people for payments, now there is no more extra money to be made, they are abandoning the area. Naija is always Naija.