By Chioma Onuegbu

UYO— SPECIAL Assistant to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State on Power, Mr. Meyen Etukudo, has said it was not the business of the State Government to dispense power and transformers, urging communities grumbling about damaged transformers and overloading to approach the Port –Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC.

Engr. Etukudo and One of the damaged transformers at Afahaube Itam

Etukudo, who stated this while speaking to NDV at Uyo on the electricity crisis that hit Afahaube community in Itu local government of the state, following a recurring transformer breakdown in the area, however, said government, could step in sometimes to rescue communities not catered for by PHEDC.

The government official, who spoke against the backdrop of insinuations by residents of Afahaube community that the state government was insensitive to their plight, maintained that PHEDC, the distribution company in charge of four states in the Niger Delta, including Akwa Ibom, has the duty to resolve the problem.

“If there is a burnt or damaged transformer due to overloading, PHEDC is supposed to go to the place, assess it and change it with another one. Maybe if it was formerly a 300KVA transformer, they should change it to 500KVA in order to serve the people better; it is their work.

“There has been a power reform. On November, 1, 2013, leverage was given to 18 companies, which constitute six generating companies, one, Transmission Company, which is called the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN and 11 distribution companies. And the distribution company that oversees the four states of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River is the PHEDC.

“In all these, the state governments have no hand at all, but sometimes, where the PHEDC has not provided transformers, poles and other materials, government steps in. Government is only doing that as a social responsibility because this is democracy and it will not allow the citizens to wallow in problems,” he explained.

We don’t collect bills

Expatiating on PHEDC’s role, the Special Assistant said: “That was why we sent our engineers to the community when we received their report. They went and studied the whole Afahaube and discovered that they need 4-number transformers. 33/11KVA and it is the work of the PHEDC to install that because they collect the bills. Government does not collect electricity bills anywhere.”

Etukudo further  asserted: “Even though it is not the responsibility of government to do this, but government is willing to see everywhere always lit. Government is trying to see how it can provide the 4-number transformers, including other materials like the cables, maybe feeder pillars. But the only snag is that cash is not available now. We are being realistic here.

“We are talking about cash here. To install a transformer with the materials involved, including cables, you need about N2.7million if not more. So we need at least N10m or N12million.   And you find out that most communities cannot cough out N500, 000 to install a transformer.

Matter before governor

“We have written to the governor on this before and the paper is there, so once I have the opportunity to meet the governor, I will take Afahaube case again to him. Once it is approved, we will immediately move to site even if it means installing it one after the other. Everything depends on the availability of funds now.

“However, that work is supposed to be done by the PHEDC. They should hold the company very tight.

He, on the other hand, noted that TCN had nothing to do with the problem, but PHEDC..