Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Electricity consumers in Enugu are angry and disenchanted following the disconnection of many homes from the national grid by the Enugu Electrical Distribution Company (EEDC).
Daily Sun learnt that families that travelled for Christmas and New Year celebrations returned to meet their houses in darkness and could not get reasonable responses from the electricity company.
The development forced customers to besiege the EEDC offices in Enugu, including their corporate headquarters along Okpara Avenue, to demand for explanations as to why they were disconnected from electricity supply.
Some of the customers even threatened to staff and promised to mobilise a protest against the company.
EEDC on December 16, 2019, in a notice signed by its Network Manager, Mr. Jyotirmaya Lenka, said the company would replace the black box pre-paid meter in use in many South East premises with pre-paid meters from Meter Asset Provider (MAP) starting from January 1, 2020.
But the majority of consumers are decrying the haste with which the company disconnected them without providing for new meters.
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Enugu State, in a reaction, yesterday, issued a 14-day ultimatum to EEDC to rescind the policy that necessitated the disconnection of customers or face the wrath of the people.
In a statement by Chief Adonis Igwe, the CNPP said the EEDC was making life difficult for the people and warned that if the company refused to drop the new arrangement, it would mobilise the people to occupy their offices in protest.
The CNPP said under the new policy, customers are made to pay about N38, 000 to get single-phase new MAP pre-paid meters.
“The CNPP Enugu is condemning this dubious action and will use all its power in the state to stop this bourgeois policy of EEDC. The company should retrace its step on the aforementioned notice or face serious resistance from the masses.