Olive Ejang Tebug Ngoh
19 December 2008
Customers of the National Electricity Corporation, AES SONEL, in Kumba have been bribing workers of the institution to assist them in paying their bills.The bribe issue comes in the wake of the payment of November bills where authorities of the electricity corporation complained that their machines were not functioning.
They stated that the machines could not print out receipts for the bills, which make the payment process slow. Besides, only one cashier has been collecting bills at the centre.
The non-functioning of the machines has caused commotion at the centre, as the payment process is rather too slow. Several customers could be spotted perching on the gate of the centre during working hours, struggling to pay bills.
When The Post visited the centre on December 15, several customers were sitting under the heat of the sun outside the gate while a crowd struggled inside.A frustrated customer, Maureen Sonne, said she came to the centre at about 7:00 am but after nine hours she could not pay her bill.
She said most people offered between FCFA 100 to FCFA 300 to workers and other customers inside the gates of the centre to assist them in the payment.On Pa Mukwelle from Kake II, trembling at the gate, disclosed that a security guard of the centre took his bill for payment. He said after waiting for several hours, he could not see the guard or his money.
After several failed attempts to meet the guard inside, the 63-year-old man said he was barred from entering into the centre because of his age.He said some customers who came after him called the Chief of Centre or workers by phone, to usher them in.
"I have been abandoned here because I don't have connections," the old man said.
By press time, The Post could not meet AES SONEL authorities for comments on the issue since this reporter was denied access to the centre.
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