TWO loads of trailer with prepaid meters were intercepted by some inquisitive youths in Ile-Ife last Tuesday.
According to OSUN DEFENDER investigation, it was gathered that the two trucks loaded with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria’s (PHCN) prepaid metres took off from a branch office of PHCN’s office located at Mayfair area of the ancient town late in the night on Tuesday, but some motorcyclists popularly known as Okada reportedly suspected a foul play informed the security agents about the movement of the two lorries which led to their interception.
Some of the commercial motorcyclists, who informed the State Security Service (SSS), in a chat with the medium said that the two trailers had earlier parked at a distance not too far from the PHCN’s branch office as early as 4p.m, but the loading of the pre-paid metres into the vehicles did not commence until 9p.m which aroused their suspicion of a possible foul play.
A senior source at the SSS office confirmed the incident to the medium, while also affirming that the PHCN branch manager where the pre-paid metres were loaded into the trailers had been interrogated by the security operatives.
Further findings by the medium also revealed that the prepaid metres were supplied by a company known as ENL Ltd, to the PHCN in Ile-Ife, but the company later decided to transfer the goods to a location in Ikolaba area in Ibadan.
Investigation also revealed that some electricity consumers in Ile-Ife, who had earlier applied for the pre-paid metres from the PHCN, had been denied the metres, alleging that the prepaid metres that were intercepted but later released by security agents were indeed meant for Ile-Ife customers, but were hoarded by the PHCN officials.
A staff of the PHCN who spoke with the medium under anonymity informed the medium that the decision to transfer the pre-paid metres to Ibadan was the sole decision of ENL Company, which was saddled with the responsibility of distributing the metres to the PHCN’s offices nationwide.
By SOLA JACOBS
