Umuawulu electricity consumers in Awka South Local council area have threatened showdown with Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) for not connecting the Community to power after clearing their debts and deciding on individual payments.
Leaders of the community under the Umuawulu Electricity Consumers Forum (UECF) Comrade Osita Obi and Anazor Kingsley Onyebuchi, in a letter to the power firm,warned that if after 14 days the EEDC fails to energise seven transformers in the community, the over 2000 consumers would occupy its office until they are connected to electricity.
Speaking at a press conference in Awka on Tuesday, Comrade Obi who is also the coordinator and convener of UECF,disclosed that before now, the community used to make bulk payment of Electricity bills until it decided to de-bulk the process.
He said,the community also paid off the sum of N39million it owed EEDC and then de-bulked the process.
He said following that, an enumeration of consumers was carried out, followed by verification process which the consumers facilitated,adding that the de-bulking process, was concluded since February 2022.
He said since then, the community is yet to be connected despite all efforts to do so.
He said that consumers paid for 29 metres but only nine were supplied,adding that officials of the company were so careless that most of the applications for supply of metres disappeared in their office.
He added:”We, therefore, demand immediate restoration of electricity to those transformers that have been concluded de-bulking. If two weeks after the reception of this letter you fail to energise the transformers that have concluded the de-bulking process, we shall moblize the consumers to occupy your office until you comply and restore electricity in Umuawulu”.
Reacting,the head of communication of EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh said the community in question took EEDC to NERC and the resolution was that they should acquire meters through Meter Asset Providers,MAP
He said,some have complied and those have had their meters installed and installation is still ongoing.
He added: “We have also energized the transformer that met with the conditions, which is to obtain undertaking from individual customers that are not able to pay for meters, to connect them and bill them on estimation, while those not willing to be on estimation will request to be disconnected#