UYO, Nigeria (FN) — The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has launched a formal investigation into alleged fraud and meter diversion by the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), following a petition from a consumer advocacy group. The probe centers on claims that thousands of prepaid electric meters, funded by the federal government and the World Bank, were illegally hoarded and sold.
The petition was submitted by the Akwa Ibom Electricity Consumers Forum (AKECOF), which accused PHEDC of engaging in widespread racketeering, inflated billing, and deliberate sabotage of national metering initiatives. The group claims the alleged misconduct has persisted for years, undermining public trust and worsening electricity access across the state.
Lawmakers deliberated on the petition during plenary on Tuesday, October 28, and referred the matter to the House Committee on Public Utilities. Speaker Udeme Otong (Abak) directed the committee to summon PHEDC officials, AKECOF representatives, and relevant regulatory bodies for a fact-finding hearing. The committee is expected to report its findings within two weeks.
“The House will not tolerate any form of economic sabotage against our citizens,” Otong said. “We are committed to ensuring transparency and justice in the electricity sector.”
AKECOF has intensified its advocacy in recent weeks, staging visits to key institutions including the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). During a meeting with DSS officials, the agency pledged to investigate all allegations of meter racketeering and billing fraud, describing the claims as “serious threats to national infrastructure.”
In a separate engagement, AKECOF met with NLC’s Akwa Ibom chapter, where both parties agreed to jointly pursue reforms aimed at protecting workers and households from exploitative electricity practices. NLC Chairman Comrade Sunny James condemned the poor state of power supply despite consistent consumer payments, calling for urgent regulatory intervention.
“These abuses must end,” James said. “We will work with AKECOF to ensure affordable and accountable electricity for all.”
The consumer group also urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to impose sanctions on PHEDC if found complicit in the alleged fraud. They called on the Federal Ministry of Power to guarantee equitable distribution of free meters under the Presidential Metering Initiative and the World Bank intervention program.
“This is not just about service delivery,” AKECOF said in a statement. “It’s about restoring consumer confidence and enforcing justice in the power sector.”
The investigation comes amid growing public frustration over estimated billing and erratic electricity supply in Akwa Ibom. Lawmakers say the outcome of the probe could shape future oversight of distribution companies across Nigeria.
