The House of Representatives has summoned the management of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) over the N2.600 billion in electricity charges unilaterally imposed on various communities across Ohafia and Abia State.

Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Michael Etaba, who issued the notice at the resumed hearing held on Friday in Abuja, mandated the EEDC Managing Director, Mr Praveen Chorgade, to appear on April 17, 2024, to respond to the petition.

According to the petition dated January 31, 2024, and addressed to the Speaker, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the petitioners accused EEDC of “undue and excessive exploitation of Ohafia consumers through the imposition of estimated billing, despite the company’s failure to supply electricity to the communities that have been disconnected for over five years.

We, the above Think-Tank Group, comprising of medical doctors, legal practitioners, tech professionals, manufacturers, businessmen, youths, students, concerned citizens, and residents of Ohafia, Abiriba, and Nkporo communities in Ohafia Local Government Area (L.G.A.), Abia State, write in respect of the non-provision of electricity and the unjust and exorbitant electricity bills imposed on our communities to the tune of N2.600 billion by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

“It may interest you to know that our communities have been in total blackout for the past five years. Despite the absence of a total electricity supply in our communities for almost half a decade, the EEDC has continued to issue inflated and unreasonable electricity bills to residents. This persistent billing, coupled with the lack of electricity supply, has imposed severe financial burdens on the already struggling households in Ohafia, Abiriba, and Nkporo communities.

“Consequently, many families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, as they are forced to allocate significant portions of their income to pay for services not rendered.

“The communities have complained to EEDC at different times in order to ensure consumers pay the amount of money commensurate with the quality of electricity supplied,” the petition reads in part,” he said.

While frowning at EEDC’s insistence that the “estimated billing methodology is as approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in 2017, the petitioners alleged that EEDC officials carted away cables after disconnecting the communities, adding that all efforts made to ensure amicable resolution of the crisis proved abortive.

“Our communities have been enduring tremendous hardship since then due to the lack of electricity, which has adversely affected our daily lives, businesses, and overall development. Basic amenities such as refrigeration for perishable goods, lighting for safety and security, and access to communication and information technologies have been severely compromised, which prompted,” he said.

While noting that despite Deputy Governor Abia State having requested permission to personally assign an engineer to work on the main line of the ABAM-OHAFIA 33KV line at his personal cost, the petitioners maintained that “the absence of electricity in our communities for years now has hindered the growth of local industries, stifled entrepreneurial endeavours, and impeded educational opportunities for our youth.

“The economic and social ramifications of this situation are profound and far-reaching, with long-term implications for the well-being and prosperity of our communities, and Electricity Distribution Company ZENC has instead mandated that our communities pay the above unreasonable electricity bills before our light can be restored.

“To this end, the petitioner urged the House to “conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the billing practices of the EEDC in Ohafia, including an audit of metre readings and billing records; ensure transparency and accountability in the billing process, with a focus on providing accurate and fair assessments of electricity consumption; as well as enact legislation or regulatory measures to protect consumers from exploitation and abuse by electricity distribution companies.

In its response to the Committee’s summons dated March 1, 2024, EEDC Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Praveen Chorgade, affirmed that Ohafia Community is one of the communities being served by EEDC and takes supply from the Itu 33 kV line in Cross Rivers State (under Port Harcourt Distribution Company) through Arochukwu to Ohafia.

“The Itu 33 kV line is fraught with a lot of challenges due partly to its length, which is over 200 km, and also to the unfriendly terrain where the line traverses. It is also an old line that requires constant rehabilitation and fault clearing. Due to the aforementioned condition, the quality and duration of supply are constantly affected for this community and its environs.

“As a result of the feeder supply instability, the transformers are subject to constant vandalism, leading to a high cost of service for the company.

“Steps taken to address the matter: Aside from the efforts made in the past to rehabilitate the network and clear faults, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (“NERC”), on February 20″, 2024, convened a meeting to address the challenge and directed as follows: EEDC to rectify all the identified faults and restore power supply back to the affected area within 3 weeks, on or before the 12th March 2024; EEDC has commenced the following activities to meet this directive: The replacement of broken cross arms and vegetation clearing has commenced.

“Also, the vandalised Bulcholze Chamber of the 7.5MVA Power Transformer, the vandalised cables of the injection, and other accessories of the substation have been replaced.

“Replacement of five collapsed poles at the Okobo axis of the feeder will be done on March 6, 2024, while all other pole replacements will be concluded by Friday, March 8, 2024.

“The multiple pole collapse at the Oboro axis of the feeder caused by the landslide was successfully replaced.

“14 No. HT fallen poles at Abam were successfully replaced. The collapsed 3 Nos. HT poles at Penco Plaza Ohafia were successfully replaced.

“EEDC has commenced rehabilitation of the feeder to restore supply to the OHAFIA injection substation, and the supply will be restored to the injection substation on or before the close of business on Friday, March 8, 2024.

“EEDC to set up a reconciliation team, which may include a NERC representative, to reconcile individual or community outstanding debts: An initial desktop reconciliation of the bili placed the community’s indebtedness at about 700 million.

“Given the directive of NERC, EEDC is poised to carry out further on-the-spot reconciliation to derive the outstanding debt. This will involve the NERC to ensure transparency and confidence in the process.

“This will commence by the second week of this month and be concluded before the end of the month.

“EEDC may consider implementing their company’s general incentive of offering a 25% discount after the bill adjustment. EEDC seized the opportunity afforded by the meeting to mention to NERC that there is a discount scheme for indebted customers of up to 25% discount.

“This scheme is readily available to the community to be used to offset the reconciled indebtedness.

“EEDC will implement a Commission-approved CAP-based billing system for the customers next billing and going forward; EEDC has noted this directive for implementation,” the EEDC Managing Director assured. (Nigerian Tribune)

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