OUR OPINION: DO NOT FALL FOR THE PHCN PROMO. IT IS A SCAM!

You do not treat people as fools and yet expect the best from them. It is highly unjust, when we expect our followers to deliver greater than the value we place on them. When the formal American president, Bill Clinton was publicly accused of having affair with Monica Lewinsky, after he tried to sweep it away and could not, he swallowed his pride and publicly acknowledged the affair and he was forgiven. When leaders begin to act like gods that do not err, catastrophe will always dictate the pace at every point in time. This is exactly what is happening in leadership in the country.

So, it was a great surprise to me, when I saw a document attached to my electricity bill of a Promo
by PHCN. That, when you pay this amount, you would be allowed to go away with the remaining balance. Who is deceiving who here? When did PHCN become a private investment to be issuing out promo like what we have among the telecom service providers? What do they take the people for?  They brought in a Crazy estimated bill to the people in July all the name of an increment in power supply cost rate and expecting them to pay within a short time.

To some, it was about four times of what they were paying before. Some customers were accused of not having a working and reliable power meters etc. So, PHCH has been on this fraudulent collection for years. Because I wonder who should be held liable for a non working meter replacement. Is it the Customer that does not know the difference between the red and blue cable or the PHCN officials? In a nutshell, the people went on a peaceful protest to challenge the bill. The PHCN officials pleaded with the protesters that they should go back home, that they would do something about it. To cut it short, they asked their customers to pay what they felt was right in accordance to what they were paying before.

By August, majority of those sent back home in July thought the August bill would come on a reducing path. But to their amazement, no reduction took place. Rather, it went up more. Then everyone became confused and not knowing what next to do. The bill kept escalating on monthly basis. Some were asked to pay over 60,000 Naira including a young man that all he had was just the 60 watts bulb and while others had to battle over a hundred thousand.

The waiting and watching game began as no consumer was ready to shift his ground from what he was paying before June. While the PHCN wanted to continue to maintain her ego as an error free and reputable organization who gives customers their correct invoices on a monthly basis.  And to the shocker of everyone, PHCN came out with a promo that they wanted to relieve their highly esteemed customers of the high debt that they did not owe in the first place. What an insult. Who is deceiving who here? 

We want to say categorically that this is not a promo but a display of arrogance. What is there in PHCN accepting her error for the Month of June and making adequate adjustment at that period in time. But no one was ready to take responsibility for it talkless of rendering her apology. Rather, they call it promo. It is the right of the people. You cannot deceive them by saying you are doing promo. They expect the people to embrace a dubious promo and say thank you for their own estimated errors!  It is not done. And it should be totally rejected by all. It does not worth any celebration. It is a scam.

We have said it here before that PHCN would go the way of NITEL and no one would remember it anymore. It is just a matter of time. Their departure is long overdue. They should do the right thing. It is an organisation that has failed in all fronts. They must firstly go to the media and apologize for their billing error and adjust it appropriately. This is what should be done. You cannot dash the people their right. Thanks. Pls share!

Tunde Adenuga