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Small, medium industries accuse Enugu Disco of excessive bills, petition NERC

By Uzoma Nzeagwu (Awka) and Mayaki John (Benin)
24 March 2017   |   4:21 am
The group asked the NERC to commence investigation into the challenges confronting them, to avert a situation where over 1,000 businesses may shut down and about 15,000 workers under their employment forced back to the labour market.

Electricity distribution

Edo to enjoy 24-hour electricity soon

The Association of Small and Medium Scale Industries, Anambra State (ASAMSIAS) has petitioned Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), accusing the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) of excessive energy charges.

In a petition addressed to the chairman of NERC, signed by their President and Secretary General, Chief Johnson Okolo and Mr. Daniel Akpan, the association also alleged that EEDC short-changed them through what they called inadequate energy supply and pre-paid meter installation against their wish.

The group asked the NERC to commence investigation into the challenges confronting them, to avert a situation where over 1,000 businesses may shut down and about 15,000 workers under their employment forced back to the labour market.

According to ASAMSIAS: “Our production system requires 100 per cent pre-heating, but the erratic power supply we get is not converted during outage, rather energy captured by the meters during the periods are billed and expected to be paid by us, which is gross extortion.

“More than 95 per cent of energy allocation to the zone goes to 33KVA line loads at the expense of 11 KVA line consumers, a policy that is very unhealthy. Within the last six months, September to January, an increase in tariff of up to 450 per cent has been included in our energy bills without any justification.”

The association wondered why they should be given pre-paid meters they do not need and want NERC to probe the installation of such meters. Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo has assured that some parts of the state would soon begin to enjoy 24 hours electricity supply due to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by his government and an independent power provider to generate five megawatts of electricity.

Obaseki, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie stated this while flagging off the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), a partnership between the state government and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to train 500 youths on Information Communication Technology (ICT) and other vocations.

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