Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Anger, disenchantment can best describe the mood in Enugu now following the sudden disconnection of many residents from power source by official of the Enugu Electrical Distribution Company (EEDC).
Consequently, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Enugu State, has given EEDC 14-day ultimatum to rescind the new policy that necessitated the disconnection of the masses or face the wrath of the people of the geo-political zone.
Many families that travelled for the Christmas and New Year celebrations returned to meet their houses and apartments in darkness and could not get reasonable responses from the electricity company.
Tempers are flaring at various offices of the EEDC including their corporate headquarters along Okpara Avenue Enugu as electricity consumers stormed the area to confront the staff with some threatening to mobilise mob action against the company.
EEDC had on December 16, 2019 through a notice signed by its Network Manager, Mr. Jyotirmaya Lenka, confirmed the company’s move to 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 many were quarrelling with the haste with which the company disconnected them without providing the new meters when even fresh customers who applied for the said meters many months ago had remained on estimation billing without the meters in sight.
In a statement signed by its State Chairman, Chief Adonis Igwe, the CNPP regretted that the policies of the EEDC were making life too difficult for the people in the area and warned that if the company refused to drop the new arrangement, the organization would mobilize the people to occupy their offices.
The statement reads in parts: “A notice signed by EEDC Network Manager, Mr. Jyotirmaya Lenka, dated Dec. 16, confirmed the move to replace the black box pre-paid meters in use in many South East premises with pre-paid meters from Meter Asset Provider (MAP) commencing from Jan. 1, 2020.
“As a result, each customer may cough out about N38, 000 to get single-phase new MAP pre-paid meters. The CNPP Enugu is condemning this dubious action in totality 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.
“We will be mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people across South East states, especially our teaming supporters and members for “Operation Occupy EEDC” till they rescind this unjust and inhuman policy.
“There cannot be any economic development from any nation where power supply is on the blinking side especially when the people are made to pay to what they did not consume, The situation in South East is quiet abysmal as we have our own sons in the system.
“As a result, CNPP Enugu is calling on Sir Emeka Offor and Sen. Ken Nnamani to call the management of EEDC to order and rescind this policy with immediate effect or face the wrath of the people.”
CNPP also called on NERC to properly supervise the activities of EEDC “especially their exploitative tendencies and stop this unjust policy against the people of south eastern Nigeria.”