Question.
Sir Collins, lately there has been series of negative comments on the social media about you and your organization PHED. How come it got to this level.
Collins:
When reconstruction is being done, like in the case of road repairs, commuters will feel the pains. But after the construction it will be a relief to all. That is how it is with power supply. Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc recently embarked on a lot of constructions and reconstruction to serve our customers better. Amika double circuit construction is on going. Late last year new Feeder on a completely new line was installed. For all these constructions, there must be outages to create safe workspace.
However, a check on these publications clearly reveals it is sponsored.
Question
What do you mean by sponsors? Are you saying the publications were targeted to put you in disrepute?
Collins:
While doing my job, I have stepped on toes (very powerful ones).
What moral justification would I have if I have to chase rural dwellers in Calabar South and environs to make payment of electricity consumed and I would be complacent in enforcing payment of electricity bills from the rich and favoured citizens in State Housing, Akai Effa and environs. I have met powerful citizens without any evidence of payment or even being captured on our network. Commissioners, Directors, even the number 4 person in the state hierarchy has no Evidence of Payment (EOP).
Some will try to cajole me into ensuring that their houses have supply against the work plan. However, I am here to serve Cross River people and not individuals.
Question.
Is that why the Governor’s office, MDAs have been out of supply for over 4 months?
Collins:
When I resumed in July last year, I reviewed indebtedness to PHED, and I discovered that the State Government and State MDAs have been defaulting in payments. I engaged the former Head of Service (HOS) Mrs Geraldine Ekanem and the Permanent Secretaries. I went further to have lunch date with the Accountant General (AG), Mrs Ekanem (former HOS) and the present HOS Timothy Akwaji on the way forward. Nothing came out of it. You can’t have supplies if you don’t pay for your consumption.
Most of the Elites and the powerful in Calabar are only concerned about supply to their residence. Imagine where a former Chief Civil Servant will call me that I should ensure she has supply because Big Brother will be doing eviction and she has to watch it. Top political office holders will be pleading for power restoration in the Presidential and Governor’s lodges while the whole Governor’s Office is out of supply.
The long and short of the whole story is that the rich and powerful are fighting back, to the point of even making threats to my life. Professor Mrs. Ikpeme say she must extract her pound of flesh from me. Meanwhile, consumers in Akpabuyo, 8th miles and Calabar South are happy with the improved supply.
