Disco denies receiving N480m from Bayelsa APC candidate

 The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company has dismissed widespread speculation that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State, Mr. David Lyon, allegedly paid the sum of N480m to the company for stable power supply in the state in the last two weeks.

Sophilia Obire, Internal Communications and Media Monitoring, PHED, debunked the rumour in an interview on Monday.

There had been speculation that the relative steady electricity supply witnessed in Yenagoa and its environs in the last two weeks was made possible by the APC candidate who reportedly paid N480m to the PHED.

This had elicited concerns in some quarters that the PHED had become partisan in the politics of Bayelsa State by going into such a deal with the APC and its candidate ahead of the November 16 governorship poll in the state.

The PHED is a private electric distribution company in charge of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers States.

Obire, who spoke on behalf of the Manager, Corporate Communications, PHED, John Onyi, however, said the company did not receive any money from anyone to supply power in Yenagoa metropolis, stressing that there was no iota of truth in the claim making the rounds.

She attributed the slight improvement in power supply to a meeting which took place penultimate week in Yenagoa between the management of the PHED and officials of the Ijaw Youth Council, Central Zone, following threats by the youth body to shut down the firm’s operations over poor power supply.

According to her, some power feeders had developed transmission issues which occasioned low supply in the state and resulted in the reaction of the IYC which was resolved at the meeting.

Obire said, “So, since that time, there has been a bit improvement in power supply there (Bayelsa). That improvement has nothing at all to do with whatever rumour being spread around.

“Nobody or politician has given PHED any amount of money to give Bayelsa power supply. It’s just a rumour.”

 Although the APC governorship candidate, Mr David Lyon, could not be reached for comment, a member of his political camp said he would not be able to authenticate the veracity of the claim.

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