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OUTAGES: SOUTH EAST CONSUMERS CALL FOR ONE-MONTH BOYCOTT OF EEDC
Electricity consumers in the South-East geo-political zone of the country have threatened a one-month warning boycott to “remain in darkness,” to protest against incessant power outages, outrageous and estimated billings, extortions, as well as non-provision of pre-paid meters to consumers across the region.
Findings showed that both commercial and economic activities in the area have largely been paralysed due to incessant power outages across the region, which has therefore affected most shop owners and small scale enterprises, who now depend on running their businesses on diesel, while some who could not afford the cost of diesel have closed down their shops/businesses “temporarily,” pending when power situation improves.
This was just as residents across the region are also lamenting what they called “outrageous and irritative estimated electricity billing” in the midst of power outage from Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.
EEDC distributes electricity to South-East states such as Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi.
Their position to embark on a one-month warning boycott was made known after a stakeholders’ meeting held simultaneously across the five states of the region on April 4. The meeting was convened under the aegis of South-East Electricity Consumers Association.
Speaking through a communiqué issued at the end of the meetings, SEECA Chairman and Secretary, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, JP, and Mr Ogubuike Ibeagi resectively, said SEECA aimed to stand in the gap to interface between the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, Discos and electricity consumers, with a view to strengthening the operations of the Discos to deliver their contractual responsibility to the people of the region.
Obioha and Ibeagi explained that during the “warning strike,” which would be declared after a stakeholders meeting in May, everybody will be in “total darkness” and those on prepaid meters will not recharge, lamenting that the NERC/EEDC have kept the people not only in “epileptic or kwashiorkor-ridden electricity supply for far too long, but in darkness presently.”
They explained that the aim of the exercise and engagement was to assist NERC to monitor and implement their regulations and responsibility towards the Discos and to consumers, as well as to provide a collective voice in advocating for the rights of the consumers, to enjoy the full benefits of accessing electricity without let or hinder.
SEECA also rejected the 300 per cent increase in electricity tariff announced by the Federal Government, and strongly requested that prepaid meters be installed in every household and businesses before the implementation.
The communiqué further read, “From this day, April 4, 2024, no consumer of electricity under the DisCo, EEDC, should pay for prepaid meter/s. Meter/s is the property of EEDC and therefore by law must be issued free to consumers.
“No individual/s or community/ies should buy or provide transformers for their electricity consumption. If that is very unavoidable, the transformer procurement should be done after negotiations and MoUs with the EEDC or Geometrics. In that case if feasible, the cost of the transformer/s should be imputed in the energy usage of the consumers involved by the DisCo
“The DisCo must give at least two weeks’ notice after delivery of bills on consumption as estimated if not contested, before cutting of lights.
“We demand that estimated bills be stopped and prepaid meters issued to all consumers or else, consumers’ lights must not be cut.
“We frowned at and condemned the 300 per cent increase in tariff announced by the Federal Government and strongly request that prepaid meters be installed in every household and businesses before the implementation.
“We request that no consumer should hinder, fight or quarrel with any EEDC employee climbing the pole with ladder to cut light.’’
“After our meeting scheduled for May 2, 2024, we will announce a period of one month warning strike to remain in darkness as EEDC had trained us and put us in a developed immunity to darkness.
“By this period of strike, as we are highly mobilised and sensitised, no consumer will pay any kobo to EEDC. Those on prepaid will not recharge. Let us test and be in total darkness as warning before other reconcilable steps are announced. Step by step, we move to lighten up the South-East.”
SEECA urged prepaid meter/s consumers to stop recharging unless they are sure of adequate electricity supply as stated by NERC and their banding.
It further added, “EEDC and APL – Geometrics – must provide prepaid meters and transformers as required by law. It is their property. They are also required to supply enough electricity to consumers as banded by the NERC.
“During this one-month warning strike by the consumers to the NERC, DisCos – EEDC and APL- Geometrics, on no account must any consumer disturb the DisCos through their staffers from cutting light. Do not quarrel or fight with them. They have kept us, not only in epileptic or kwashiorkor ridden electricity supply for far too long, but in darkness presently.
“Let them hold their light and we will hold our money. All consumers of electricity in the South-East must braze up for this challenge, enough of this darkness and exploitation. Join your state platform for effective direction and coordination.”
Speaking at the end of their meeting in Onitsha, Anambra State, some aggrieved consumers, lamented that despite remaining in “perpetual darkness,” EEDC officials still send “outrageous” bills to them, contrary to NERC’s policy, which had ordered that estimated billing should stop until prepaid meters are provided.
The aggrieved residents, who were led by their landlords to the various meetings in their respective zones, expressed their frustrations in deep anger and regret.
One of the residents, an entrepreneur, Chief Godwin Obi, who spoke after the meeting, said, “We are in support of the strike, let them take their light, while we hold our money. The electricity situation in the South-East is quite sympathetic and it is highly regrettable the condition the DisCo has put us in, this is not so in other regions of this country. For months now, they have placed our homes and businesses in perpetual darkness, yet they bring outrageous bills to us. So, we should be paying for darkness?
“Since October last year, they have not supplied us electricity for complete two hours in a day, yet they bring incremental billings every month. Most businesses now run on diesel and are barely managing to survive and those that can’t afford to run on diesel have closed temporarily, pending when the situation improves. This should be unacceptable to all concerned.”
Another resident, Grace Osondu, said, “We can’t remember the last time we slept with electricity for three hours since December last year, yet we get outrageous bills. The continuous power outage has paralysed both commercial and domestic activities. The whole neighbourhood has been thrown into darkness; the high cost of fuel also worsened the situation as most homes don’t fuel their generators anymore.
“When the light was a bit stable, the EEDC billed us N15,000 per flat, but now that they give us light only for two hours at midnight, they are billing us N25,000, this is not normal. Most times due to the intense heat, we sleep outside; even our husbands no longer come close to us at nights, because of the intense heat.”We can’t wait for the rainy season to come. Some residents got N50,000 in February alone in a month they did not supply electricity up to five times. Some us have monthly outstanding bills of huge amount, where in Nigeria is anybody paying such bill in a flat? That is what we are facing these periods.”
