Jikwoyi community gives AEDC 7days to withdraw bills
Residents
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, May 1, 2018 (NAN) Residents of Jikwoyi Community in the Federal Capital Territory under the aegis of Jikwoyi Landlords Association on Tuesday protested over alleged over-billing for electricity by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
The residents gave AEDC a seven-day ultimatum to withdraw the bills, saying they paid astronomical bills through estimated billing for electricity not consumed.
Mr Julius Ogezi, the Vice-President of the association, said it had become increasingly difficult for the people to cope with the charges.
“The unfortunate scenario has caused the collapse of most of our medium and small scale businesses and deep strain on our finances thereby depriving us of our means of livelihood.
“In an attempt to stem this ugly trend, concerted efforts and appeals made to AEDC to install prepaid meters in our houses were blatantly turned down.
“The question we are asking therefore is what parameters are they using to assess electricity consumption and billings when a three bedroom flat gets a bill of between N15,000 and N20,000?
“We view AEDC’s action as gross economic sabotage on our community and on Nigerians in general.”
Ogezi said the association decided to give AEDC seven days ultimatum to reverse the bills or it would sue the company to demand N100 billion compensation.
“We want AEDC to withdraw all over bills and issue realistic new bills, provide prepaid meters expeditiously or face legal actions which we intend to follow to logical conclusion.
“Imagine the minimum wage in Nigeria is N18,000 and electricity bill alone is N20,000, how do you reconcile this?
“We appeal to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Minister of FCT, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, the National Assembly and all other concerned bodies to come to our rescue.”
He also appealed to the senator representing FCT, Sen. Phillip Aduda, to prevail on the contractors building Esu Jetta Road, Jikwoyi, Phase One, to remobilise to site and complete the work which started in 2017.
“This is the only major road in Jikwoyi phase one and if nothing is done it will cause untold hardships to residents as the rains are here.
“We understand that it is a constituency project of Sen. Aduda, hence the need for him to wade into the matter”.
Mr Alfred Ebi, the Chairman of Jikwoyi Phase Four, said his phase spent about N413,500 to install a transformer.
“We bought items for them which include transport for the transformer, pot insulators, disc insulators, cables, U-bolts and others.
“They brought a transformer with only one unit for the whole of the phase, how can that work?
“Yet they come with outrageous bills, sometimes they give a flat N20,000 for a month, the next month N25,000.
A landlord, Mr Frank Onumajuru, said, “I have a prepaid meter and they are still sending me estimated bills.
“AEDC has reduced us to nothing, and in addition to that we don’t have light so what are we paying for?’’ Onumajuru asked.
Meanwhile when the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) visited AEDC , Jikwoyi Area Office, to get the company’s view, the workers on duty said that they were not authorised to speak. (NAN)
EPA/JCE
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Edited by Chukwudi Ekezie