By  Anozie Egole
It is overdue to be privatized——Isreal Uwabunkeonye

To me, privatizing PHCN is overdue in this nation. By overdue I mean there is gross inefficiency in the system. People are billed for what they did not consume and you cannot sue PHCN. The management is inefficient and there are lots of fraudulent activities going on in the sector.

During the time of the former head of state Olusegun Obasanjo, enough money was allocated to them for effective operation but you find out that we cannot trace how the money was spent.

They are not providing the normal bills. They bring whatever they like and impose it on the masses for them to pay for a service not provided. Even when they manage to bring the light, the voltage will be so low that it will not be enough to power some house hold equipment’s.

For instance, I have a fridge in my house which I have not been able to use for almost two years due to low voltage. People have air-conditionsers in their houses but they have not been able to use them. Sometimes, you find out that in a month, they might not be able to bring light up to three times.

Chiewuzie

They will flash the light before you could on your bulb, they have taken it and at the end of the month, they will bring bill and if you argue with them, they will disconnect your light. They will even bring bills to you after they might have disconnected your light.

Here in Ikotun, the only place I know they have constant power supply is along the Synagogue road because I understand it connects to airport road. Anywhere outside that area, there is no constant power supply.

The nation is wasting a lot of money in paying all the staff in the power sector because; there is gross inefficiency in that area. I believe when PHCN is privatized, efficiency will come in and it will cut down on labour. Now that they have introduced pay as you earn meter, it will help the new company a lot. If there is no light, you will not be billed.

I want only the government to handle it   —Moses Adewale

I don’t have much to say about that. All I want is that there should be constant light and the bills should be reduced. Talking about privatization, I want the government to handle that sector themselves I do not want it to be sold to any company.

But if the government insists on selling PHCN, they should ask the intending buyers if they can handle it properly. Because, I do not want a situation where after selling it, we will still be having problems again. So they should ensure the efficiency of the buyers before they sell it to them. I support the government to handle it properly because, it is a government property.

PHCN should be privatized so that we can enjoy electricity—Chiewuzie Chris

I am sure more than 98% Nigerians are in support of selling PHCN. This was exactly what happened to NITEL until government sold it to individual operators. Before the government’s intervention in NITEL, the operators were grossly inefficient.

They were messing the whole nation up but now, we are enjoying telecommunication in the country. There is competition among the operators.

Moses

Everybody wants to bring the best to be able to maintain its customers. To make things work, I suggest privatization should be done to PHCN.

Government did not say they will be sacking PHCN staff, they said if you are interested in working with the new company, you should re-apply because most of the workers are not qualified that is why the government advised you should re-apply if you wish to continue working with them.

So I see no reason why they should go on strike. Thank God they have called-off the strike. I support the privatization and the PHCN should be wiped out completely.

Privatize it and sell the pre-paid meters to us— Alfa Suleiman Saidu

I strongly support the government to sell the PHCN and make sure that the new pre-paid meter gets to everybody. That is the best way to ensure that power is properly distributed. With that pre-paid meter, you will be able to control your bill. If you use light you will know and if you don’t, you will also know.

Unlike this PHCN were they will carry bill and impose on you to pay whether you like it or not. PHCN has not been doing well. Is either they privatize PHCN or sell the pre-paid meter to us. With selling of PHCN and the introduction of pre-paid meter, the system will be like telecommunication, if you recharge, you will use the light if you don’t, you will not use light. It is better, I support it.

It is good for Government to Privatize PHCN—Kate Umoru

To me, privatizing PHCN is a welcomed development. Because, their bills are very much even the one you consume and the one you do not consume they will charge you for that. In my area, it has been long we saw light there.

They will say that they are sharing the light but you cannot know the difference between the times you suppose to have light and the day you don’t supposed to have light. But when they want to bring the bills, they will estimate whatever they want and bring not minding that there was no light in that area.

PHCN has been a very big problem to us—-Madu Monday

Seriously, PHCN has been a very big problem to the country and nothing has been done to it. The way it is now and from my own personal view, since the PHCN has done nothing, if privatization will be a very good alternative, let it go. We are seriously in support of it.

Our experience with PHCN is nothing to write home about. I will advise the government or whoever that is involved to ensure that entirely new staff are recruited during this privatization exercise. Because, the PHCN staff are very corrupt.