Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Members of Enugwu Agidi community, in Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State, Tuesday staged a peaceful protest against the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), decrying years of alleged extortion and exploitation through estimated billing, despite little or no electricity supply.
The protest, which drew hundreds of residents including youths and the elderly was held at the EEDC office in Enugwu Agidi.
Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Enugwu Agidi Has No Light,” “We Say No to Load Shedding,” and “EEDC Must Respect Our Rights.”
Speaking during the protest, Comrade Onwuora Chinedu, the convener of the South East Electricity Consumers Association, Enugwu Agidi Chapter, described the protest as necessary and overdue.
According to him, the EEDC continues to issue high electricity bills to the community without supplying power.
“We are tired of paying for electricity we don’t receive. It’s pure exploitation,”
“In 1986, we contributed money from our agricultural produce to install electricity in Enugwu Agidi. NEPA did not contribute a dime, we only invited them for commissioning. Since then, we have been maintaining the infrastructure without any support from EEDC,” Comrade Onwuora said.
He explained that for the past four months, the EEDC had disconnected the town’s electricity supply, claiming the energy was being redistributed to neighboring communities.
“This is unacceptable. We installed this electricity network ourselves. Why should we be denied service so that others can benefit from what we labored for,” he asked.
Onwuora demanded that EEDC prioritize power supply to Enugwu Agidi and fully comply with the mandate of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to meter all households, thereby eliminating estimated billing.
“EEDC charges households as much as N20,000 monthly through estimated billing, even when no power is supplied. This is fraudulent. NERC directed that no billing should occur without prepaid meters. EEDC also forces consumers to fund repairs by buying wires, poles, cables, and transformers, and still demands payment for installation. According to NERC, those are the company’s responsibilities,” he added.
He further called for the immediate removal of the current field manager, alleging that the situation had worsened since he assumed office.
Onwuora appealed to the Enugwu Agidi Progressive Union to intervene before the matter escalates.
Also speaking, the youth leader of Enugwu Agidi, Hon. Okesabuikem Okongwu, said the community was fed up with estimated billing and the exploitation that comes with it.
“More than 80% of our residents are on postpaid billing. Many applied for prepaid meters, but EEDC has refused to issue them because estimated billing is more lucrative for the company. Yet, despite the high bills, we hardly have electricity. Since the appointment of the current field manager, things have gone from bad to worse,” he stated.
He reiterated the youths’ resolve to continue protesting until their demands are met and urged the town union to act swiftly to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
In response to the protest, the Acting President of Enugwu Agidi Town Union, Ozo Chidozie Igwenu, commended the youths for conducting a peaceful demonstration.
“I was in Awka when I received calls about a crisis in Enugwu Agidi. I had to rush back using a borrowed car.”
“Your grievances are valid and clearly visible. As a town union, we were not aware of EEDC’s current activities, and we will never support anything that harms our people,”he said.
Igwenu acknowledged that the lack of power supply has led to a rise in cable and transformer vandalism in the community.
“Just last night, vandals destroyed cables worth over N2.4 million. If power were regularly supplied, this wouldn’t be happening. Everything you have said is true, and I assure you that the town union will step in immediately to address these issues. After this meeting, we will convene and decide on the next steps to ensure electricity is restored to Enugwu Agidi,” he added.
