Onitsha — No fewer than 4000 workers employed by over 350 companies operating under Onitsha Cluster Development Project of the Association of Small Scale Polythene Industries located at the Osakwe Estate, Ezeiweka Road of Awada area of Onitsha, Monday took to the streets of Onitsha, protesting what they regarded as frustration and abysmal power supply, despite alleged scandalous bills by Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

Their protest followed the total disconnection of their light after an alleged attempt by PHCN, Onitsha Business Unit to allegedly trick them into signing an agreement to pay estimated bill of 2003 they claimed they did not incur and N5000 reconnection fee for each of the companies operating in the industrial cluster.

The protesters claimed that they had earlier protested against the estimated 2003 bill to the Chief Operating Officer of PHCN, Enugu Zonal Headquarters, where it was said that an agreement was reached that they should pay 50% of the controversial bill which they claimed to have complied with, but only for the Onitsha Business Office to turn back to insist that they must pay the remaining 50%.

Chairman of the Association, Mr. Johnson Okolo who led the protest said his group cannot be ripped off and fulfilling their earlier aggrement.

The protesters marched the streets of Onitsha with placards, some of which read: "outrageous billing by PHCN against Osakwe Small Scale Industrial cluster companies must stop".

Mr. Paul Emekefe must go from PHCN Onitsha", "President Yar'Adua, please come and rescue Onitsha business unit of PHCN, "Mr. Paul Emekefe wants to kill small-scale industries in Onitsha", "Ohaneze Ndigbo save us from sabotage from PHCN Enugu zone", "Over 4000 workers and 350 small scale industries are about to be thrown out of job by PHCN", South East National Assembly members should please intervene in the injustice against us", among others.

But the Public Affairs Manager of PHCN Onitsha business unit, Mr. Maxwell Orjiakor said the problem of Ezeiweka industrial cluster has been a very protracted one in terms of payment on the service rendered.