Sir: I write not just as a concerned citizen, but as a voice for an entire community that has been abandoned and left in darkness for three straight weeks.
What is happening on the street hosting Life Forte Hospital, Port Harcourt, is nothing short of tragic. For 21 days, we have been without electricity—completely cut off from what should be a basic service in any civilised society. It is heartbreaking, infuriating, and shameful.
This is a hospital environment—where people go not just for treatment but for survival. Every second counts. Machines must run, cold chains must be maintained, and human lives depend on uninterrupted power. Yet here we are, using generators 24/7, burning through resources, battling noise and fumes, all because the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) has failed to do its job.
This is no longer a case of poor service. This is a deliberate act of neglect. This is man’s inhumanity to man.
It is hard not to believe that this is a calculated attempt to sabotage the hard work and good intentions of the Minister of Power and Mr President, who have publicly committed to transforming Nigeria’s power sector. But what good are policies from Abuja when PHED continues to disgrace the system on the ground? If there’s any sincerity in the reforms we keep hearing about, then this is the kind of embarrassment that must not be tolerated.
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Let me be clear: until someone is sacked—until people are held truly accountable—this culture of impunity and mediocrity will persist. The power sector will not move forward until incompetent hands are replaced with capable ones.
We are not asking for luxury. We are asking for what has already been promised—at least 12 hours of power per day, as stipulated under Band C regulations. What we are getting is zero.
This is painful. This is unjust. This is unsustainable.
And so, I lament, not just in words but in deep frustration for my community. PHED, you have failed us. Restore the power. Do your job. Or step aside for those who can.