Irked by what it called the outrageous billing and epileptic power supply, among other inhuman acts against electricity consumers in the state, the Enugu State House of Assembly on Friday asked the management of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to shut down its operations and vacate the state.
The lawmakers also asked electricity consumers in the state to stop further payment of over-bloated electricity bills, while asking that a state of emergency be declared in the activities of EEDC.
Other states in the south-east including Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Imo were also asked to take drastic action against the company by declaring state of emergency against them.
They also ordered the chairman of the company, Sir Emeka Ofor, and the managing director to appear before its six-man ad hoc committee to explain the company’s activities in the state.
This came as hundreds of electricity consumers in Enugu state early on Friday staged a protest to the House of Assembly over incessant power outage, outrageous billing, alarming tariff among other forms of alleged exploitative activities of the EEDC.
The protesters who displayed numerous placards with various inscriptions, had called on the lawmakers, to as a matter of urgency intervene on the issue while also demanding for the exit of the EEDC.
They claimed that the company since inception, had continued to make life unbearable for citizens of the state.
In adopting a five-point motion on matter of urgent important moved by Hon. Chinedu Nwamba representing Nsukka East State Constituency at a special sitting of the House, the lawmakers decried the activities of the Distribution Company, noting that rather than make lives meaningful for the people, it had continued to exploit the people.
The House urged the state government to liaise with the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to validate the quality of the new metres they are currently supplying the public to know if the setting was commensurate with the unit consumption.
They also lamented the discriminatory billing system against Enugu and other states in the south east, adding that while Distribution Companies in Abuja and Lagos were charging less and distributing power, the EEDC had continued to exploit the people with high bills without providing the needed power supply.
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