NAN-HE-9
Bills
Jos, Dec. 21, 2016 (NAN) Electricity consumers in Plateau have decried the“crazy billing’’ by the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) particularly in the month of November.
Some of the consumers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos, urged on the Federal Government to call the company to order.
Adamu Gyang said:“we received bills with a sharp increase of almost 400 per cent for November alone which scared my families to their bone marrows, especially in this economic recession and Christmas period.
“Our earlier bills, which were between N5,000 and N6,000, have now skyrocketed to N22, 000 in November.’’
Gyang said that when he saw the JED bill last week, he inquired and was told that it was due to increase in energy supply to the state.
He expressed surprise at the excuse, saying that the excuse was contrary to what the Minister of Works and Power, Raji Fashola, said on supply of power to Nigerians in the same month of November.
Another customer, Mr Yomi Adeosun, told NAN that he was also told by JED officials that the rise in tariff was due to increase in energy supplied to the state in November.
“This kind of crazy bill is not encouraging at all and it is a message to us that we can’t afford electricity again if this trend continues.
“What are we gaining from the government as social amenities as citizens when everything is skyrocketing beyond the reach of the common man.’’
The Dadin Kowa District Manager of JED, Mr Daniel Amos, told NAN that JED had huge energy supply in the November hence the increase in payment.
“The energy supplied to us here in Dadin Kowa was over N71.3 million, but the management said we should collect only 60 per cent of that amount, which is N43 million.
“Of course, those who don’t have meters in their houses have to shoulder the bulk of this amount (N43 million) which is not our fault because that is what we supplied within the month of November”.
Amos called on those who did not have meters in their houses to obtain one by paying the sum of N25, 000 to the bank.
A call by NAN to Mr Jirbo Ver, JED Director of Marketing, to authenticate the claims by Amos proved abortive as he declined comment, saying that he was in Abuja and not in possession of the details. (NAN)
TYC/BOLA/TA
Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Tajudeen Atitebi