Blackout: Jabi residents decry ‘exorbitant’ ₦17m transformer fee

Residents of Jabi-Dakibiyu in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Thursday, expressed outrage over an alleged demand by a supposed Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) community agent to pay ₦17 million for a transformer, despite enduring a two-month power outage.

A source, who spoke to The Guardian, said that residents have continued to receive and pay electricity bills despite being without power for months.

The source disclosed that an AEDC agent in Jabi allegedly directed that each room contribute ₦10,000 to meet the ₦17 million target.

“It is unacceptable that in Abuja, the nation’s capital, where the President also resides, people are being asked to pay for a transformer after months without electricity,” the source lamented.

Frustrated by the situation, the residents called President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and FCT ministers to intervene, describing the demand as exploitative and unjust.

A local trader, Musa Fatima, expressed her distress, accusing AEDC agents of turning the electricity supply into a money-making scheme.

She said: “It’s unfortunate that the AEDC agent in Jabi is using electricity bills to enrich themselves and their families. How can they ask me to pay ₦15,000 for my shop and ₦10,000 for my house? That means they expect me to pay ₦25,000 at the beginning of the year when things are already difficult.”

She urged the government to investigate and ensure that essential infrastructure, such as transformers, is provided without imposing additional financial burdens on residents.

Responding to the claims, the Acting Managing Director/CEO of AEDC, Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye, denied the allegations, noting that his office has not authorized anyone to collect money for a transformer.

Okwuokenye said: “The company has a very strong policy regarding the financing of assets, and anything outside that would not be accepted under regulation.”

As the blackout enters its third month, Jabi residents continue to demand urgent government intervention to restore power and end the alleged exploitation by electricity officials.