The Ikeja Business Unit of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria has condemned the rising customer debt totalling N3.1bn in the area.
Speaking during a consultative council meeting held with its customers in Lagos, on Wednesday, the Manager, PHCN Ikeja Business Unit, Mr. Lateef Olaleye, regretted that customer debts to the company as at June, 2013 stood at N3.1bn.
While government Ministries, Department and Agencies in the business area owed PHCN N2.3bn, Olaleye said others owed N7m.
He said, “As I speak to you, PHCN Ikeja Business Unit is being owed a total of N3.17bn. Of this amount, Ministries, Departments and Agencies owe us N2.39bn while non-MDA customers owe N7m. It is only when customers settle their bills as and when due that we will be able to render the best of services.”
The PHCN boss, who admitted poor power supply in the country, however, noted with dismay how vandals were disguising as cart pushers to carry their illicit activities.
He said, “Over the past four months, we have recorded the destruction of nine transformer substations by vandals. Oba Akinjobi 300KVA substation was vandalised three times in March, April and May, this year while Remi Fani-Kayode 1500KVA substation was first vandalised on April 8. The vandals came again two days later on April 10 and stole virtually all the replaced cables and other substation materials.