Residents of Anambra State, including professionals, market leaders, youths, civil servants, have threatened to shut down the office of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in Awka over power outage that has lasted for four months.

The group under the auspices of Anambra Association of Electricity Consumers (AAEC), led by Engr. Kenneth Moneke, on Friday marched to the power distribution company’s office where it issued threat that upon the expiration of a week ultimatum, the office would be shut if power was not restored in Awka.

The delegation that visited the EEDC office had the Local Government Chairmen, medical doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, professors, market leaders and security personnel.

According to the angry residents, some of the areas had not had light for the past four months, while the residents kept receiving estimated bills from the distribution company amounting to 20,000 per month in some cases.

The delegation told the manager of EEDC Awka Distribution Centre, Mr. Samuel Onuorah Udemgba: “We do not want to allow the youths to take to violence, what we need is peace in the land, but by next week Friday, if EDDC fails to address this issue, we will have no other option than to close down EEDC offices in the state.

“The explanations from this office are not well received by the people because electricity distribution is not rocket science but practical.

“We have come to realise that what you do in this state is to make money for those that are in-charge and allow the poor masses to suffer the consequences. But we are here today to tell you that such ideas will end immediately.

“The situation has touched everybody. This place will be shutdown, just take the message to the appropriate authorities because we have seen the problems are beyond you.”

Responding, Mr. Udemgba, said that EEDC runs a system that is controlled by the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC). He explained that the Commission gave EEDC a template that must be followed.

His words: “The problem is not from us, the consumers have every right to be angry.

“We are going to work now based on the visit, but you should know that the two transformers from Nibo substation are having problems, in fact, what we use now is the smaller one for the entire Awka and this is a major challenge we are facing right now.

“What we are asking from you is to have patience while EEDC as a company is making arrangements to ensure that things return to normal.”

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