The Apapa Business Unit of Power Holding Company of Nigeria has said debt owed by customers in the area has risen to N2bn.
The Business Manager of the unit, Mr. Adewale Obajemu, who made this disclosure during a Customers Consultative Council Meeting in Lagos, appealed to customers in the area to pay up their debts.
Obejemu said that some customers had turned deaf ears to appeals to pay their bills in spite of efforts of PHCN to ensure adequate power supply of electricity.
He said, “Customers within the unit are owing us over N2bn, while government agency debts have risen to N904m to date.
“Government’s decision to embark on source deduction of agencies’ debts is yet to be effected, but we hope that when this happens, it will go a long way in reducing customers’ debt profile.’’
The business manager, however, urged customers to avoid illegal connection, stressing that illegal connections had negative effects on PHCN operations.
He attributed the inadequate electricity supply in the unit to challenges of energy supply from the source and wave of vandalism.
Obajemu said the unit needed about 90 mega watts for effective electricity supply, but was only given between 15 to 20 mega watts to manage.
He appealed to communities in its network to report anybody found tampering with PHCN equipment.
“We spent over a million naira on any cable vandalised and we hope that if communities assist us in this direction, it will go a long way in solving problems of energy wastage.