By Jude Atupulazi, Michael Nnebife, Jessica Akubueze Chukwudebe and Oluwayemisi Opayemi
Electricity consumers within Old INEC Road, Awka, have appealed to the Anambra State Government to urgently compel Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, to restore Greenland Transformer serving less-privileged individuals in the area.
The electricity consumers, who, on Monday 3rd March, stormed the premises of Fides Media Ltd, carrying placards with different inscriptions such as, ”We need light”, ”We don’t have to pay N400,000 to have light”, among others, said they had been in a total blackout for over a week, as a result of the vandalisation of a transformer serving them.
The leader of the protesting electricity consumers, Mr Somtochi Chukwurah, spoke with Fides, arguing that it was the sole responsibility of the EEDC to fix the vandalized transformer as government property placed in its care.
He lamented, ‘We have been in darkness for a week and some days now as a result of vandalisation of our transformer, being the Greenland Transformer.’
According to him, the matter had since been taken to the EEDC office, which, he said, directed them to pay a certain amount of money ranging from N400, 000 to N500, 000, for it to fix the vandalised transformer.
‘We feel this is government property being managed by EEDC and DisCo.
‘Therefore, since we pay our bills monthly, as and when due, EEDC should not ask for our individuals’ finances for them to fix the transformer,’ Mr Chukwurah said.
Chukwurah said they were told by the EEDC that if they waited for EEDC or the government, it would take three months or more for the vandalised transformer to be fixed.
‘Therefore, we are begging Anambra State Government to come and help us compel EEDC and the NERC (National Electricity Regulatory Council) to consider our complaint and give it a quick, positive response as soon as possible,’ he appealed.
Chukwurah, who said most of the affected customers were under estimated billing system, also accused EEDC of over-billing and inefficiency in service delivery.
‘Most times, we do have low voltage, and we call EEDC customers service to come and fix it. It takes them, sometimes, two days to respond to the call.
‘Another thing is on issue of billing; they bill us outside the NERC capping methodology.
‘For instance, my own house is eight single rooms. Sometimes, they bill us N50, 000, N45, 000 per month.
‘If we do the calculation, using the NERC capping methodology, our bills per building wouldn’t be more than N35, 000.
‘On this, we have been complaining and complaining, but our cry has not been heard; they don’t listen to us.
‘Therefore, we also want the Anambra State Government to instruct the office in charge, which is the NERC, to come and see to this issue,’ he added.
When Fides reached out to the Head of Customer Service, one Mr Jude, via phone call and Whatsapp, he neither picked, nor replied as at press time.
