IDRIS AHMED, LOKOJA.
…..Save our souls from outrageous electricity bills from AEDC, NUJ cries to Gov. Yahaya Bello.
The Nigerians Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kogi State Council, has called on Kogi state government to urgently intervene in the crude exploitation of citizens by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Agency (AEDC) observed the unbridled attitude of the Abuja Electricity and Distribution Company (AEDC),.
The AEDC has become notorious in doling out outrageous monthly electricity bills to customers especially in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital without commensurate services rendered to the customers
A press release jointly signed by the Chairman Comrade Adeiza Momohjph and Secretary, Ademu Saidu Haruna, the Union noted with serious concern the attitude that started between August – September, 2022 when there was a noticeable slight improvement on the electricity supply within Lokoja metropolis, AEDC hurriedly latched on to increase the monthly bills.
The increases started from the usual ₦3,000- ₦4,000 per building to ₦6,000- ₦8,000 blanket payment no matter the size of the buildings.
” By October 2022, AEDC in it’s usual attitude without putting into considerations the biting economic situation in the country and the ability of customers to pay again increased the bill to ₦11, 700.”the statement read
According to the union, ” it’s killing for an average family to pay N15,000 electricity bill in a country where minimum wage is N30,000″.
“Responding to the cry and barrage of complaints from members of the public,and in fulfilling our social responsibility mandate of being the Mirror and Watch dog of the society, the union decided to seek for enquiry with the organization as to why rash increase of the bill are being orchestrated without a corresponding service.
“To our utter dismay, no official of the AEDC in the state was willing to furnish us with information over this abysmal increase ,rather the monthly bills keep on increasing astronomically such that the January monthly bills rose to #14,700 while the latest February bill has also been jerked up to ₦15, 300”.
The Union observed that despite the fact that the electricity supply has dropped drastically from ten hours a day to a miserable four hours a day, while some areas in the state capital experience total outage for days or weeks without any explanation even though the distribution company just as the bills keep on running.
It was also alleged that the AEDC flagrantly refused to distribute the Pre Paid Metres to members of the public after payments had been made , taking delight in dishing out outrageous monthly bills to it’s customers without even reading the metres
The union Union therefore appeal to the Kogi state government under the leadership of Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the Kogi state House of Assembly to as a matter of urgency wade into the matter and call the management of AEDC to order.
” If the AEDC and its heartless monthly increment are not restrained, may result to breakdown of law and order as the saying goes that a dog that is pushed to the wall has no alternative than to bark and bite
” The current hardship of fuel scarcity , water scarcity, incessant electricity outage and the cash crunch being experienced by residents of the state should not be further compounded by AEDC propensity of making more money to the detriment of the customers without recourse for wearing a Human face”. The statement warned.
