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Mass protest looms over poor electricity supply in Kogi.
IDRIS AHMED, LOKOJA
Residents of Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, are poised to embark on general protest to press home their demands for the restoration of electricity currently being irregularly supplied.
Electricity consumers accused the Abuja Electricity Distribution Agency (AEDC) of deliberate outages of power in the guise of maintenance ,replacement of transformers and accessories.
They complained further that despite not supplying power to its customers, AEDC staff continue to dish out outrageous bills on monthly basis.
According to some property owners, landlords and tenants, several meetings were held with officials of the distribution company over the lingering blackout, always ended up with promises that have not been fulfilled.
” After several complains to the Management of the distribution agency, they reluctantly agreed to attend meetings, where promises were made to effect necessary repairs, which include replacement of ageing transformers that they claimed are outdated”, a landlord, Mr. Francis Abraham disclosed .
However, some groups of aggrieved consumers have been holding meetings on how to resolve the power crisis they believed was deliberately caused by the distribution agency.
They said since all necessary avenues have been exhausted, the only option remaining is to embark on a peaceful protest .
” The failure to supply power to the metropolis of Lokoja has caused a lot of discomfort and crippled petty businesses as well as damages to inestimable amount of properties, worth over hundred of thousands of naira”, a resident lamented.
The consumers also alleged discrimination in the distribution of electricity to citizens as there exists 11, 13 kvas for the poor, another known as CBN line for the well to do.
According to a source, the CBN line supplies 24 uninterrupted power while the KVAs give 1hour to 2 daily.
The consumers therefore appealed to Kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello,and the federal government to intervene in the power crisis that has crippled social and economic activities in Kogi state.
