The text describes a protest by women in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over prolonged power outage. The women, from the Mile 2 and Mile 3 areas of Diobu, Port Harcourt, demonstrated at the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) office, expressing their displeasure about the lack of electricity in their neighborhoods.
The protesters, carrying placards, marched through major streets in Diobu, expressing their frustration with the intense heat waves caused by the erratic power supply. Some of the inscriptions on the placards highlighted issues such as the lack of quality time with husbands due to the heat, difficulties in preserving cooked foods, and the adverse impact on businesses. The women criticized PHED for charging them for electricity without corresponding power supply.
The protesters vowed to remobilize for another peaceful protest if the power situation did not improve. They cited challenges with charging phones, preserving food, and engaging in intimate activities due to the heat caused by the lack of electricity.
The PHED Public Relations Officer, Livingstone Koko, stated that the current power situation was beyond the company’s control, attributing it to a value chain issue. He mentioned that efforts were being made with other industry players to restore power supply. Koko apologized for the inconvenience and urged the protesters to bear with the situation.
This protest occurred in the context of a nationwide issue of low power supply since December 2023. The Transmission Company of Nigeria and electricity distribution companies have attributed the situation to gas shortages leading to a reduced allocation from the national grid. The Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, recently held a meeting with electricity generation and distribution companies to address the persistent power problems in the country.
