Author: The Nation

•Say, we bought transformers, paid for pre-paid metres, yet nothing has changed

With a population of over 100,000 people, the Umuokpo Autonomous community in Imo State, has for decades, been forced to rely on kerosene lamps and candles to carry out their evening activities, exposing them to serious health and safety risks. Despite their efforts to take matters into their own hands, including purchasing and installing transformers, the community has remained in the dark. CHRIS NJOKU explores the struggles and frustrations of the people and their determination to access their basic human right to electricity.

For 76-year-old Mrs Nneoma Okoro, the absence of electricity in her community, Umuokpo Autonomous Community in Nkume, Njaba LGA, Imo State, is a constant reminder of the struggles she has faced her entire life. She recalls the days when she had to rely on kerosene lamps and candles to light her home, often worrying about the safety of her children and grandchildren.

Umuokpo is a rural community grappling with significant environmental and infrastructural challenges. The community is plagued by severe gully erosion, which has ravaged the entire area, causing widespread damage to homes, farmland, and infrastructure. Compounding this issue, therefore, is the frequent and unpredictable power disruptions, which have left the community vulnerable to darkness and economic stagnation.

“We have been in darkness for so long,” Nneoma Okoro says, her voice laced with frustration. “We thought we had finally seen the light when we bought our transformer, but DisCo/EEDC took it over and left us in the dark again.”

Mrs Okoro’s story is just one of many in the Umuokpo Community, where the lack of electricity has become a way of life. Despite their efforts to take matters into their own hands, the community has been met with resistance and neglect from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (DisCo/EEDC).

A community in the dark

Umuokpo Autonomous Community, like many rural communities in Nigeria, has been struggling to access basic amenities like electricity. In 2018, their transformer was vandalised, leaving them in darkness for almost three years. Despite purchasing a new transformer through individual contributions, nothing has changed, as the DisCo/EEDC simply took possession of it without compensation.

Narrating their ordeal to The Nation, one of the community leaders,  Elder Okegbe Eze Cooper, explained that the community purchased two transformers at various times, with each costing nothing less than N10 million, including the cost of energizing, approvals and logistics.

“The first was purchased after long requests and delays from EEDC. We went out of our way and got one of ourselves. When the transformer was vandalised, EEDC on our invitation, sent an engineer to do the repairs with the community again bankrolling the expenses which were over N500,000 or more, including logistics. Again when the repairs failed, EEDC then came and moved it to their repair centre to investigate the fault and perhaps fix it; and I can tell you that was the last time we heard nor saw the transformer again.

“After years of demand without result, even as they continued to send the monthly bills knowing full well we had no light, we then went to the NERC which serves as the arbiter between EEDC and its customers.

“It was after this that the body ruled that EEDC should, as a matter of urgency, replace the vandalised transformer in the community; and that the entire community should be provided with prepaid meters rather than the estimated bill which was used. It also ruled that the bill of millions of naira, which was the estimated bill sent to the community when we were in total darkness, be struck out and cancelled as it could stand.

“It was after this ruling by the NERC and having waited for another year without any action from EEDC that the community went out of its way again and contributed money to get for itself another transformer at the cost of over N10 million, including energization and approvals from the same EEDC at very high cost. This, of course, is what should have been done free of charge as the court pronounced but it never was. Rather they came in again and continued the financial plunder of our poor people.”

Elder Okegbe also condemned the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) for their handling of the community’s power issues, describing the suffering in the community as “a hopeless situation.”

He expressed frustration that despite a court ruling in their favour, the company has failed to provide a transformer and prepaid meters, which the community people had to fund themselves.

The community’s efforts to fund and energize a new transformer were disregarded by EEDC, which surprised Elder Okegbe. He suggested that the company’s behaviour was a blatant disregard for the community’s efforts and wondered if they were intentionally provoking another legal battle.

Elder Okegbe’s criticism of EEDC’s actions highlights the community’s frustration and sense of abandonment. Despite their best efforts to resolve the issue, they have been met with inaction and disrespect, leaving them feeling helpless and angry.

“Honestly, the story is very pathetic. As if these were not enough, we even went ahead and paid for prepaid meters for ourselves. That’s over a year now but all we got, even as I speak, are just stories and blame games. This is despite the community’s proof of payment of N2 million.

“I paid the N2 million into account number 2030937277 of EEDC Orlu Operations on April 28, 2023.

“It is a sad one. While in Abia State,  they are going from street to street, installing free prepaid meters for the people, here in Orlu,  Imo State, where we have paid money,  we get nothing.”

A cry for justice

The community’s representative, Chief Basil Adimora, now based in the United States, is determined to fight for his community’s rights. “We are not asking for too much; just basic electricity and fair treatment,” he says. “We want DisCo/EEDC to take responsibility for their obligations and stop exploiting our community.”

“We simply want DisCo/EEDC and their affiliates to do the right thing and take their foot off our necks, so we can breathe,” he adds. “We are not shareholders, stakeholders, or owners of DisCo/EEDC, yet we are being forced to provide infrastructure for their profit-making activities without compensation or ownership interest. It’s unfair and unjust.”

According to him, on February 3, 2024, the community sent a letter to the Managing Director of EEDC, requesting a status update on the 20 individuals who had paid for prepaid meters.

 “We wrote to the Managing Director of EEDC, Enugu, requesting a status update. Out of the 20 names, 7 prepaid meters have been installed, and we are still waiting to hear about the status of the remaining 13, which is now almost six years overdue.”

The villagers have been left to fend for themselves, and they have grown accustomed to the neglect. With no one to advocate for them, they feel like they are shouting into the wind, and their cries for help are falling on deaf ears.

As a result, they have lost hope, believing that their plight will continue to be ignored, much like sheep without a shepherd.

The traditional ruler of the community, HRH Eze E.M. Iwuala, Obikaeze 11, succinctly captured the sense of despair. “It has become the norm in Nigeria for people to cry out for help without receiving any intervention,” he said, quoting an Igbo proverb. “Let us continue to cry out, not because we expect our situation to change, but so that the world may hear our voice and know our plight.”

The human cost

The lack of electricity in the Umuokpo Community has a human cost that goes beyond mere inconvenience. It affects the health, education, and economic well-being of the community members.

Mrs. Okoro’s granddaughter, Chinaza, has to study with candlelight, risking her eyesight and respiratory health. “I wish I had a proper light to study with,” she says, “but we can’t afford to buy fuel for the generator every day.”

The community’s only healthcare centre struggles to function without electricity, making it difficult for the nurses to store vaccines and medical supplies.

“We have lost precious lives due to our inability to provide proper care,” says the community’s health worker, who simply gave her name as Mrs Uche.

“We need electricity to access basic healthcare, education, and economic opportunities,” says Mrs. Uche. “We can’t afford to wait any longer.”

The lack of electricity also affects the community’s economic activities, making it difficult for them to run their businesses and sell their products.

“We can’t even power our machines to process our farm produce,” says Mr. Ike, a farmer. “We have to sell them at a loss, which affects our livelihood.”

“I have had to spend so much money on fuel for my generator to power my shop,” says Mrs Ngozi, a business owner. “It’s affecting my business and my family’s well-being.”

A call to action

The story of the Umuokpo Community is a call to action for the authorities to take responsibility for providing basic amenities to rural communities. It is a reminder that access to electricity is a fundamental human right, essential for the well-being and development of any community.

As Mrs. Okoro says, “We are not asking for too much. We just want to live a decent life with our children and grandchildren. We want to see the light.”

“We are tired of living in darkness,” says Mr. Emma Okafor, a community member. “We want electricity to power our homes, our businesses, and our lives.”

When The Nation reached out to the Network Manager, Mr Kingsley Mba, he stated that he was no longer in charge of the Orlu District and directed the reporter to contact the new manager, emphasising that government is a continuous entity.

Meanwhile, the Transformer Manager, Mr Chris Umuaka, disputed the claim that the community had been without electricity for three years, asserting that they currently have power. He added, “We didn’t disconnect them. They had light last week, so it’s incorrect to say they don’t have light.”

He also claimed to be unaware of the community’s prolonged darkness and their purchase and installation of transformers twice.

“I’m not aware of those claims. Nobody asked them to buy a transformer and take on EEDC’s responsibilities. If someone did, they should identify that person.”

Regarding the prepaid meters, the manager in charge urged the community to exercise patience, without providing any specific timeline.

Contrary to the community’s claim that 20 subscribers had paid for pre-paid meters, he said only 11 individuals had done so, out of which eight had already been installed.

He assured the community: “They should be patient and engage with EEDC. We haven’t abandoned the project; the remaining three prepaid meters are pending, and we will attend to them soon.”

The provision and installation of transformers and prepaid meters have long been a contentious issue. While many communities are left in darkness waiting for the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to install their transformers, others have taken matters into their own hands by purchasing and installing them themselves.

According to the guidelines for transformer provision in Nigeria set by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the standard practice of Distribution Companies (DisCo)/EEDC, the ownership and responsibilities for transformers are clearly defined. Transformers are typically owned by the DisCo (EEDC), which is responsible for installing and maintaining them, including replacing faulty or vandalised ones.

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Communities may be required to contribute to the cost of replacing or installing new transformers through a collective agreement with a DisCo. However, a DisCo is responsible for regular maintenance and repairs of transformers, while communities are responsible for protecting the equipment from vandalism and theft. A DisCo determines when to upgrade or replace transformers based on factors like load demand, condition and age.

Additionally, a DisCo installs and maintains prepaid meters for consumers, including those in rural communities like Umuokpo, and consumers pay electricity tariffs approved by the NERC, which includes costs for transformer maintenance and replacement. A DisCo is expected to engage with communities and address their concerns, including providing electricity access and resolving issues like transformer vandalism.

Unfortunately, many communities, driven by desperation and lack of knowledge, have taken on the burden of providing essential services like electricity, water, and roads, using their resources and effort, despite the absence of a reliable energy supply.

In contrast, other countries and regions have successfully implemented efficient and reliable electricity distribution systems, not only in their rural communities but also throughout their entire countries, minimising power outages and ensuring a stable energy supply.

For instance, Tanzania has recently shut down five hydroelectric stations to reduce excess electricity supply in the national grid, with the Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station alone generating enough electricity to power major cities like Dar es Salaam.

Similarly, Denmark has a decentralised energy system that generates and distributes energy locally, reducing transmission losses and increasing efficiency.

The United States has implemented advanced weather forecasting and predictive maintenance to enhance grid resilience, while Costa Rica has invested heavily in renewable energy sources like hydroelectric power, wind and geothermal energy; reducing reliance on fossil fuels and minimising power outages.

Australia, on its part, has implemented energy storage solutions like batteries and pumped hydro storage to stabilise the grid and ensure a reliable energy supply, while Japan has microgrid systems that can operate independently of the main grid during outages, using local energy sources like solar and wind power.

On the other hand, Singapore has a highly efficient electricity distribution system with a robust grid that minimises power outages, and Germany has smart grids that manage energy distribution efficiently, predicting energy demand and adjusting supply accordingly.

These examples demonstrate that with the right investments and policies in Nigeria, it is possible to provide efficient and reliable electricity distribution systems in rural communities, minimizing power outages and ensuring a stable energy supply.

And with that, communities like Umuokpo would never have to go through the deplorable situations they claim to have been going through.