Protest Rocks Anambra as 1,000 Youths Fume, "This is Unacceptable"

• Residents of Enugwu-Agidi in Anambra state stormed the office of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in protest over poor power supply and exploitative estimated billing
• Onwuora Chinedu, leader of the protesters, lamented years of alleged extortion and demanded that EEDC prioritise power supply to Enugwu-Agidi and comply with NERC's mandate to meter all households
• The protesters threatened to continue their demonstration indefinitely until the power distribution company reverses the alleged exploitative policy and addresses the demands of the affected communities

Awka, Anambra state -- Over a thousand residents of Enugu-Agidi community in Anambra state have stormed the office of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in the area to demand an explanation over what they described as exploitative estimated billing, as well as poor and epileptic power supply in the area.

Legit.ng gathered that the aggrieved community members decried years of alleged extortion and exploitation through estimated billing, despite poor electricity supply during the peaceful protest.

Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as:-

“Enugwu-Agidi Has No Light,”

“We Say No to Load Shedding,”

“EEDC Must Respect Our Rights."

Speaking with Legit.ng correspondent during the exercise, Onwuora Chinedu, who led the protesters, described the demonstration as necessary and long overdue.

Chinedu, who is also the convener of the South East Electricity Consumers Association, Enugwu-Agidi chapter, said the EEDC had continued to issue high electricity bills to the community without a corresponding power supply.

“We are tired of paying for electricity we don’t receive. It’s pure exploitation. In 1986, we contributed money from our agricultural produce to install electricity in Enugwu-Agidi. NEPA, then, did not contribute a dime.

"We only invited them for the commissioning, since then, we have been maintaining the infrastructure without any support from the power distribution company,” Onwuora said.

He explained that for the past four months, the EEDC had disconnected the town’s electricity supply, claiming that the energy was being redistributed to neighbouring communities.

“This is unacceptable. We installed this electricity network ourselves. Why should we be denied service so that others can benefit from what we laboured for?” He added.

Onwuora demanded that EEDC prioritise power supply to Enugwu Agidi and that it should fully comply with the mandate of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to meter all households, thereby eliminating estimated billing.

“EEDC charges households as much as N20,000 monthly through estimated billing, even when no power is supplied. This is fraudulent. NERC directed that no billing should occur without prepaid meters.

"They also forces consumers to fund repairs by buying wires, poles, cables, and transformers, and still demands payment for installation. "Those are the company’s responsibilities,” he emphasised.

He also appealed to the Enugwu Agidi Progressive Union to intervene before the matter escalates further.

Enugwu-Agidi community youth leader's address

Also speaking, the youth leader of Enugwu-Agidi community, Okesabuikem Okongwu, told Legit.ng that the town was fed up with estimated billing and the exploitation that comes with it.

“More than 80% of our residents are on postpaid billing. Many applied for prepaid meters, but EEDC has refused to issue them because, estimated billing is more lucrative for the company. Yet, despite the high bills, we hardly enjoy electricity,” he stated.

He reiterated the youths’ resolve to continue protesting until their demands are met and urged the town union to act swiftly to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

Similarly, the acting president of Enugwu Agidi Town Union, Ozo Chidozie Igwenu, commended the youths for their peaceful disposition during the protest.

“I was in Awka when I received calls about protest in Enugwu-Agidi. I had to rush back using a borrowed car. Your grievances are valid, and clearly visible. As a town union, we're not unaware of EEDC’s current activities, and we will never support anything that harms our people,” he said.

Igwenu also acknowledged that the lack of power supply has led to an increase in cable and transformer vandalism in the community.

“Just last night, vandals destroyed cables worth over N2.4 million. If power were regularly supplied, this wouldn’t be happening. Your protest is genuine, and I assure all of you that the town union will step in immediately to address these issues,” he added.

NERC announces new rate for electricity

Legit.ng previously reported that the NERC announced that the currency rate used to determine Band A consumers' current electricity cost has been lowered by 16.03%.

NERC cited this in its recently released Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) for May to December 2024. The electricity regulator consequently said that it slashed the rate from the present N1,463.3/$ to N1,277.8/$ due to the appreciation of the naira against the dollar in the past month.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng