From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Members of the Southeast Electricity Consumers Association (SEECA), Ogbaru chapter, Anambra State have cried out for the intervention of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), over what they described as outrageous electricity bills issued to consumers in the district by the officials of Enugu Electricity Distribution Commission (EEDC).
Chairman of SEECA, Ogbaru chapter, Comrade Obumneme Ohiagu who raised the alarm during a press briefing in Onitsha said customers in the district are being exploited and extorted beyond limit by the electricity service provider in the area against the NERC electricity capping regulations.
Presenting evidences to back up his claims, Ohiagu said some non-metered customers are billed as high as N270,000 per month while those who summoned up courage to change the outrageous bills in the area have been subject of attack and threats of arrest and detention.
He wondered why the EEDC staff in the area operate in total disregard to NERC provisions and guidelines to the extent that customers are disconnected from supply without any prior notice while bills are issued on estimate billing method without recourse to the customer’s actual consumption rate.
“Even if they can’t meter the customers wholly, they should maintain the NERC capping method in billing, As we are talking now, there is one Mr Agwu in our area, Ossomala District who got a NERC judgement against EEDC but instead of adhering to the contents of the judgement, he has been maliciously disconnected from supply “he stated.
Also speaking, the Assistant Sec. Secretary of SEECA, Obinna Ilem noted that while there is improved electricity supply in recent times for Band A customers, consumers in the area still bears the burden of repairs and maintenance of electricity facilities in the area.
“We pay before anything is fixed for us” he lamented.
Another stakeholder, David Udensi lamented that energy bills in Ogbaru district is now higher than house rent in the area and called for a roundtable discussion between the consumers in the area and the EEDC officials so as to iron out issues between both parties before the people becomes restive which he said might lead to crisis if not urgently handled.