A group of electricity consumers in Umuahia, under the banner of Concerned Umuahia Residents, on Tuesday, protested against what they described as “outrageous, unreliable, and unjustified” electricity bills issued by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
The protesters marched from the EEDC office on Bende Road to the Government House on Akanu Ibiam Road, carrying placards with messages like “We cannot pay N50,000 bill,” “Return electricity bill back to status quo,” and “Electricity bill now equal to minimum wage.”
The group’s leader, Chukwuemeka Ozugbo, expressed frustration over the sharp tariff hike, noting that households previously billed around ₦10,000 monthly now face charges of ₦50,000 to ₦70,000, despite no improvement in power supply.
He highlighted the burden on civil servants earning the ₦70,000 minimum wage, calling the increase unfair and a violation of natural justice.
Ozugbo demanded that EEDC revert to the previous billing rate of approximately ₦10,000 per household.
Another protester, civil servant Nnamdi Okenwa, lamented the increased unit cost for prepaid meter users, stating his bill jumped from ₦3,000 to ₦15,000–₦17,000 monthly despite limited usage.
He accused EEDC of supplying power briefly before disconnections and resuming load shedding after payments.Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, received the protesters at the Government House and commended their peaceful approach.
He attributed the tariff surge from ₦53 to ₦200 per kilowatt-hour to EEDC’s upgrade of Umuahia’s feeder to Band A. Monday urged residents to submit a formal complaint letter for proper documentation, assuring them that the state government would engage EEDC and relevant agencies to address the issue transparently.
Monday highlighted the administration’s efforts to improve power supply despite infrastructural challenges, including the deployment of over 60,000 electricity meters across Abia to ensure accurate billing.
He noted that the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority, established under the state’s Electricity Law signed in March, would assume full regulatory control by December, enhancing local accountability.
Currently, electricity regulation remains under the National Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Monday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving the tariff dispute and achieving complete metering for all consumers in Abia.
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