From Joshua Chibuzo Andrew
Following an epileptic power supply in the Southeast region, the Indigenous People of Biafra has threatened to shut down the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.
The group called on the Chairman of the Enugu DisCo, Emeka Offor, and its management to “stop defrauding” the people, adding that residents had been compelled to pay “illegal estimated bills” which run into hundreds of thousands of naira.
As contained in a statement issued on Saturday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful; IPOB said it is “calling for steady lights in the region by EEDC. If they continue with the abysmal light supply in the South East, IPOB will have no option but to shut down EEDC offices in the South East in the shortest possible time.”
The statement read partly, “Following the abysmal electricity experienced in the South East, we call on EEDC to provide adequate electricity in the area or exit the region for reliable companies to take over.
“EEDC is defrauding her consumers with exorbitant electricity bills without supplying the power. The company has refused to give its consumers prepaid electricity meters but keeps giving illegal estimated bills. In many communities in the Southeast, EEDC gives community bills running in the hundreds of thousands of naira. Whether the light was provided or not, any village that didn’t pay the illegal estimated bills will have the irregular light supply disconnected.
“Communities buy their power transformers and electricity cables. At the same time, they pay the corrupt EEDC company to link power to the community. Afterwards, EEDC will bill the same village for the same power supply.”
The group alleged that the EEDC had failed to either restore or return some faulty transformers in some communities after they were dismantled, lamenting that such would inhibit business and industrial activities in the region.
The statement added, “EEDC dismantled some communities’ faulty transformers for repairs and maintenance but failed to return them for years. Some 10 years and some five years. To date, those transformers have not been restored nor seen.
“EEDC’s cup is full and we are going to show them that people are owners of the region and they are reaping Ndigbo off with abysmal power supply and exorbitant bills.
“The abysmal and unavailable power supply from EEDC will frustrate economic activities and industrialisation of Biafra Land. EEDC, therefore, must be kicked out.”
The pro-Biafran group partly tied the DisCo’s “over N12 billion” debt owed to the Transmissions Company of Nigeria to the epileptic distribution of adequate electricity in the region.
“EEDC’s indebtedness to the Transmissions Company of Nigeria (TCN) to over N12 billion, led to TCN restricting EEDC from using some of their facilities in Enugu. As it stands, EEDC is struggling with corporate integrity issues and liquidity to run its operations.
“The pertinent question to ask is, “Does EEDC have the capacity to distribute adequate electricity to the Southeast with her grossly insufficient budget?
“It is obvious that EEDC is fully aware of her limited capacity to deliver steady power yet they keep going around the Southeast defrauding and extorting the Governors and citizens in the name of power supply. The Federal Government has deregulated the power sector. Monopoly in the power sector is over,” the statement noted.
-MoU between Anambra State and EEDC-
The pro-Biafran group called on the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to make public the details and terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the state government and the EEDC, on March 25, 2023.
The group claimed that the contract, worth “over N100bn” was paid to EEDC to “supply 24 hours light in Anambra State.”
