A resident of Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, JP Ngochindo, has notified the police of his intention to lead a protest against the prolonged power outage in the area.
Ngochindo, who described himself as a representative of the “very oppressed,” said the protest would be joined by other members of the public and is scheduled to commence on Friday, September 11, 2026.
In a letter addressed to the Divisional Police Officer, Eleme Police Division, Ogale, and copied to the Commissioner of Police, Moscow Road; the Director of the Department of State Services, Ogale; and the traditional ruler of Eleme, HRM King P.O. Obelle, Ngochindo said the action was aimed at drawing attention to what he described as the “total blackout” in Eleme.
He said the notice was also intended to comply with due procedure and enable the police to provide protection for the protesters.
“I write to inform you of my intention to protest against PHEDC and Eleme LGA Authority in lieu of the total blackout in the Local Government Area for over eight months,” he stated.
He added that other members of the public would participate in the protest, which he said was intended to demand urgent action to restore electricity to the affected communities.
Most parts of Eleme have reportedly been without public electricity supply since the beginning of the year following the collapse of some feeder pillars transmitting electricity to the area.
The prolonged outage has become a major burden on residents and businesses in the oil and industrial-rich local government, which hosts several major companies and industrial facilities.
The Eleme Local Government Council had, a few weeks ago, initiated moves to replace the damaged feeder pillars and restore electricity to the affected areas.
However, the intervention was reportedly halted as work progressed, with a local government official attributing the stoppage to intensified rainfall and flooding in the area.
The official said the heavy flooding had made it difficult to erect the replacement feeder pillars, thereby delaying the restoration of electricity.
The situation has continued to affect residents, businesses and other economic activities in Eleme, despite the area’s status as a major industrial hub in Rivers State.
With public power supply unavailable, many residents have resorted to diesel- and petrol-powered generators to meet basic electricity needs, further increasing household and business expenses.
For residents who cannot afford generators, the blackout has meant depending on commercial charging centres to power mobile phones and other electronic devices.
Residents are now looking to the planned protest to draw renewed attention to the electricity crisis and compel the relevant authorities and the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) to find a lasting solution to the problem.
