By Adewale Sanyaolu
Residents of Orege Community and environs in Ajegunle under the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government of Lagos state are lamenting the perilous power infrastructure, outrageous bills and irregular power supply given to them by Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).
The unmetered residents of the Orege Community and environs under EKEDC complained that recent exorbitant bills given them are not commensurate with power supply.
This was even as they called on government’s intervention regarding the provision of prepaid meters to put an end to the outrageous bills given to them by officials of EKEDC.
The community members lamented that despite engaging the officials of EKEDC in charge of the community regarding the outrageous bills, it has, however yielded no result, adding that the estimated bill given to them have continued to increase despite the drop in power supply.
The community while calling for supply of prepaid meters said they have overtime engaged the officials of EKDC in charge of the community but said the engagement yielded no result, alleging that the EKDC officials are ripping them off through the estimated bills given to them.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the community Mr. Olawale Yissa, informed that despite series of letters written to call the attention of the distribution company to the alleged outrageous bills the officials have refused to yield or reply to their letters.
“We have written series of letters to EKDC but got no reply we hardly use light for five hours in a day, aside this the outrageous bills they bring is not commensurate to the light we use in a month, we are demanding that the government intervene, we are demanding for prepaid meters because we are tired of paying for what we don’t use,” he said.
Specifically, Engr. Philip said from N13,000 in January 2022 his electricity bill rose to N18,000 in March, N22,000 in April, and N32,000 in June.
He said: “Since April 2022, the Eko Distribution Company (EKEDC) gave us an estimated bill of N32,000. We cried and wailed, the following month (May) they brought N35,000 and yet more cries and wailing. This month, the bill for June consumption rose to N48,000. This is what these Discos are doing to us. Is it not better they disconnect our light permanently? I thought they said the tariff increase has been put on hold?
“I have never believed in the tariff, because whether there is tariff increase or not, as long as you are on estimated billing without prepaid meter, they would bring to you outrageous bills monthly when there’s absolutely no commensurate supply.”
Also speaking a member of the community who identified himself as Chibuzor Edwin, decried the outrageous bills he has been receiving despite lack of constant power supply.