By Favour Goodness
An Enugu based Micro-Finance Bank is demanding N50 million as damages from Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), for invading and disrupting bank activities.
The bank, Ohha Community Bank, is also threatening court action against the Power distribution Company over unlawful disconnection of electricity supply to its premises.
In a petition to the EEEC management the bank described as shocking the recent unruly and barbaric behaviour of EEDC officials who invaded it’s premises to carry out the unlawful disconnection after disrupting banking activities in the bank
The Bank expressed surprise that the Electricity Distribution Company could flagrantly disobeyed the verdict of the Enugu forum of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The petition written on behalf of the MicroFinance Bank by its Lawyer, Barrister Olu Omotayo read in part; “we are solicitors to Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited of No.1, Ogui Road, Enugu, who we shall hereinafter refer to as our client.
“We have our clients’ instructions and authority to write this petition to you. Our client had earlier made a complaint to the NERC Forum file a Complaint NO: NERC/05/CA/FO/EN/21/1259.
“Wherein it complained of refusal by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), to install Prepaid meter for the bank despite the application for installation of meter made to the company since 2019, and arbitrary, excessive electricity bills calculated based on estimated billing.
“It should be noted that after the complaint was filed the company in annoyance after the notice of the Complaint brought a punitive bill of N368,790 :71K, contrary to the bill of N67,535 :42K, earlier brought by the marketer for the same month of April 2021.
According to the petition, “the NERC Forum had after listening to the submission of Olu Omotayo Esq. and the representatives of EEDC officials who represented the company declared “that two bills were issued in the month of April 2021, and held thus;
“The Forum in view of the above finding resolved that EEDC shall reconcile account using six months average consumption after metre is installed.
” That he shall pay for the first bill issued to him by his marketer for April, 2021 bill and ignore the later since EEDC, did not retrieve the former when it brought the later.
“That the Forum ruled that the first bill that was issued shall hold, adding that EEDC shall install meter within 30days.
