02 March 2016, Onitsha—Epileptic power supply, over billing through estimated bills and non provision of prepaid metres for electricity consumers featured as the front burners during a town hall meeting convened by the management of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC.
The meeting which took place at the industrial city of Nnewi, Anambra State, attracted representatives and stakeholders of the 177communities of the state. As rowdy as it was, following complaints upon complaints, about 50 Anambra communities out of the 177 protested against total blackout and darkness occasioned by the EEDC.
The traditional ruler of Enugu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Ralph Ekpeh, complained that the electricity distribution company had earlier set up a power sub-station in Enugu-Ukwu and actually commissioned the project with the communities in the area rejoicing that an end had come to their electricity problems only to notice that four days after the commissioning of the power sub-station, all the communities numbering over 50 that were connected to electricity supply from the newly commissioned sub-station were thrown into total darkness.
Igwe Ekpeh noted that all efforts to make the officials of EEDC see reason and effect necessary repairs fell on deaf ears as nothing was done to rectify the situation. The monarch claimed that many factories in the area have packed up as a result of the blackout since they could no longer afford running their factories with diesel-operated power generating sets.
Also, the Oduma-Obosi community represented by Pastor Chizoba Nnaduoju said that they were tired of paying estimated electricity bill which the EEDC had allegedly used to defraud their community. Pastor Nnaduoju noted that the community was always made to cough out huge sums of money for the power they did not consume, noting that the introduction of prepaid meters would permanently solve the problem.
An Nnewi-based businessman, Chief Kenneth Maduako who is also the President-General of Azia community noted that there was no difference between NEPA, PHCN and the EEDC because they were all exploitative in their operations. He alleged that the entire Ihiala communities were always switched off by the EEDC whenever there was any festivity like Christmas, Easter among others.
- Vanguard