Nasarawa: Protest Rocks Ado AEDC Office Over Pre-Paid Metres, Over-billing

BY JONATHAN IPAA, ABUJA – Angry protesters on Monday stormed the Ado Area Office of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), decrying over-billing, dilapidated transformers and sales of free pre-paid Meters.

Hundreds of the protesters that included organized women groups, youths, landlords as well as consumers thronged and barricaded the area office demanding for justice, fair deals in the billing system, replacement of dilapidated transformers and free distribution of the World Bank sponsored Pre-paid Meters to electricity consumers.

It was gathered that while the elders of the Angwan Doka community led by Comrade Eze Uzoechi (Hilltop Cresence,), Engr Kingsley Mudjere (Central) and Engr. Austin Uwaoma, chairman, light committee of the community respectively presented the multiple of complaints to the AEDC Officials, the women and youths gave ultimatum.

Engr. Uwaoma pointedly said that there was no justification in overcharging consumers for electricity bill they don’t even see, adding that consumers were being charged thirty to thirty two thousand naira monthly bills each even when the community’s old transformer wasn’t working for nearly a year.

Some of the protesters tendered bills of continuous billing even when they individually asked AEDC to halt their billing.

Concerning the issue of transformers and overbilling, the youths and women groups insisted on stoppage of selling Pre-paid Meters sponsored by the World Bank freely to reduce poverty amongst the poor people.

The angry protesters cursed the AEDC, Nasarawa state office for selling what was meant for free to the people.

Checks by Forefront News indicate that a pre-paid Meter is being sold at N48,000 per a unit in Nasarawa state while the same meter was being destributed free to richer residents of neighbouring Federal Capital Territory.

Attempt to speak with the Area Manager of AEDC, Ado, Engr. E Olotu did not yield efforts as he said he had a pressing meeting to attend after pacifying the protesters.

He however assured the protesters of a transformer, a systematic distribution of what he described as “promotional pre-paid Meters” to identify consumers.

He told the protesters that efforts are ongoing at the regional office in Abuja to get a replacement for the damaged transformer while an organized system is in place to ensure that the available pre-paid Meters get to customers.

On the issue of Overbilling, Olotu said he inherited the matter but promised to communicate the matter with AEDC authority for possible redress.