Oscarline Onwuemenyi
24 May 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Senate during plenary on Tuesday agreed to review the excessive the billing system of all distribution companies in the country.
The decision of the Senate followed a motion by Senator Dino Melaye who relied on a point of order to accuse the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) of astronomical billing of its customers in and around the Federal Capital Territory.
Melaye lamented that officials of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company came to his residence and changed his prepaid meter to a new one, which they also came to remove three weeks after.
He alleged that the company then placed his house on estimated billing, which he described as “astronomical and unfair.”
He wondered how the ordinary Nigerian could afford such high electricity bill if he found it difficult to pay.
“If I that is a privileged Nigerian is undergoing this pain and agonising over the astronomical fees, what do we say about the man in Aguleri or the young palm wine tapper in Otuoke? We must speak for those who cannot speak for themselves; we must discuss this issue of estimated billing by all distribution companies in Nigeria,” Melaye said.
In his remark, the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary noted the complaint, saying the matter would be discussed at plenary on Wednesday.