Enugu residents mobilise against epileptic power supply

• You cannot when you are indebted to us, says electricity company
Residents of Enugu have mapped out plans to stage a protest at the headquarters of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) tomorrow over alleged excessive bills and poor services.

But EEDC said the residents have no rectitude to occupy the company when they owe over N77 billion due to Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) for power distributed in the zone.

According to the company, Enugu State government owes N2.6 billion apart from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the zone. It added that no private firm would continue to provide efficient services with such huge debts.

The protesters demanded improved services, an end to estimated billings and provision of prepaid meters.

The lawmakers while responding called for immediate action to blacklist the company and directed the management to shut down its operations and vacate the state.

They asked electricity consumers to stop further payment of over-bloated bills and also told other states in the southeast including Abia, Anambra, Imo and Ebonyi to take drastic action against the company by declaring a state of emergency.

The Assembly also raised a committee to conduct public hearing on the activities of the EEDC in the three senatorial zones of the state.

One of the organisers of the protest said: “There is no household that is not affected by the activities of the EEDC in the last three years.”