Wide spread power outage in Port Harcourt as angry youths shut down Afam power plant

Angry youths from Oyigbo, in Oyigbo local government of Rivers state, have shut down the Afam Power Station, thereby, throwing Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, and its environs into total darkness.

The youths who are from Oyigbo, the host community to Afam Power Station, were protesting against the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, for refusing to supply light to their communities in the Oyigbo local area.
Speaking on the disruption, the Managing Director of PHED, Mr. John Oye, disclosed that the protesting youths chased away all the workers at the power station including technical staff manning the facility and shut down operations of the transmission centre.

“The youths were protesting against load-shading in one of the feeder responsible for power supply to the people of Oyingbo, resulting in epileptic power supply in those areas. This afternoon, protesting youths from Oyigbo came to the electricity generating centre and chased away all the staff. This has made it impossible for the federal transmission company to transmit power to Port Harcourt electricity distribution company for onward transmission to customers in Port Harcourt.

“As we speak, the entire Port Harcourt is in total darkness as a result of their action. One of their reason was that the feeder supplying power to Oyigbo has been placed on load-shading, thereby, denying them of constant supply of electricity.

“We call on the state governor and the security agencies to intervene and come to our aid and get the irate youths from Oyigbo to vacate the Afam plant, so that the technical staff can come back to work. Until that is done, Port Harcourt will remain in total darkness. Since they have taken over, there is nothing our men can do,” he said.

The Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Oyigbo Local Government Area, Mr. Chisom Ubani, who confirmed the development said the decision to shut down the plant was as a result of the failure of the PHED to supply electricity to the host community housing the facility.

He stated: “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo came to commission our light since 2006. Although, one power plant was commissioned earlier in 1962, we did not have light until 2006. Obasanjo then asked the managers of the plant to give us power for free for 20 years. But PHED is telling us it is 10 years.”

He said that the PHED wanted them to pay for electricity insisting, “If that is their position, then, we insist on the implementation of the Local Content Act. We need jobs for our youths. We need contracts for our people. We cannot be suffering in the mist of plenty.”