•Demand DISCOS’ licences’ revocation
From Emma Elekwa, Onitsha
Electricity consumers in Onitsha, Anambra State, have decried what they termed continued crazy and outrageous bills from Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
They threatened to mobilise other consumers in the Southeast suffering the same fate to protest against EEDC and their masters.
Addressing reporters at the weekend after their general meeting, the Executive Director, Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE), Mr. Dede Uzor, said they had been groaning under the unabated bills with nothing being done to address their plight.
He accused EEDC of installing fast reading metres, also subjecting those with prepaid metres to outrageous bills.
Uzor further accused the firm of not supplying them power, noting that they were made to carry out every repair and replace damaged items, including transformers, cables and others.
He said: “Three-bedroom apartment occupiers pay between N15,000 and N20,000 every month as bills, accusing the EEDC of secretly increasing electricity tariffs, contrary to that of the regulatory agency, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
“Even with all these high tariffs, we face blackout on a daily basis. We learnt there is enough power, but they don’t want to supply us so that they can make a huge profit to take care of the large appetite of their masters.”
Uzor said the best option was to cancel the licences of Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOS) and democratise the licensing for healthy competition.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency revoke the licence of EEDC, since they have failed to provide electricity for Southeast people. Rather, they have been extorting the people through outrageous bills.
“We’re also mobilising electricity consumers in the Southeast suffering the same fate to protest against EEDC and their masters,” he said.