YENAGOA RESIDENTS PROTESTS AGAINST HIKE IN NEPA BILLS

- We are tired of Extortation, says residents.

YENAGOA: The Residents of Okutukutu community, school Road precisely, in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa state today protested over exorbitant charges by the PHED in respect to overcharged electricity tariffs.

The residents who could no longer bear the charges again took to the PHED office at Opolo community, via a peaceful protest carrying placards with inscriptions "PHED STOP THIS EXTORTION, GIVE US METERS" "GIVE US POWER, STOP STEALING FROM US" and many others.

Speaking with one of the Protesters, who spoke on behalf on the group, Comr. Wisdom adike, a human right activist and the spokesman of the protest group, he said ''it is no longer secret that we pay electricity bills like elephants and  get power supply like ants. Enough is enough we have been frauded for far too long by the PHED, we are in a state of robbery without guns and bullets. Therefore state that it is either the PHED give us Meters and also reduce the NEPA bills or else we would be forced to take the laws into our own hand if this exploitation continues".

The group also barricaded the entrance of the PHED office with their placards.

Efforts to get to the PHED branch manager proved abortive.