From: OKEY SAMPSON, Aba
An Abia State High Court, sitting at Umuahia, has ordered the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to pay a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Benjamin Benedict Apugo, the sum of N996, 426:02k being the excess charged given to him by the company.
The sum, it was gathered, were for fixed charges and energy charges.
The order was sequel to suit No. HU/240/2014 instituted by the claimant (Apugo) against the defendant (EEDC), stating that the defendant breached in a contract it entered with him on November 11, 2013 as par installation of 3-phase pre-paid metre.
The claimant also stated in the suit that the fixed charges and energy charges the defendant made him to pay was arbitrary and urged the court to revise it and for the defendant to refund the excesses collected from him.
After listening to the submissions of counsel to the claimant, Chief O.O Amuzie and that of the defendant, Justice Amanze Chikwendu Chima in his ruling observed that the defendant was in breach of the contract it entered with the claimant on November 11, 2013 as par installation of 3-phase pre-paid metre.
The Judge ruled that the defendant was only entitled to bill or charge the claimant for fixed charges and energy charges in accordance with the Multi-Year-Tariff Order 2 as revised and approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in accordance with the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act 2005.
While ordering the defendant to install 3-phase pre-paid metre for the claimant and stop further arbitrary charges on the claimant, the court also ordered the defendant to pay/refund the claimant the sum of N996, 426:02k being the sum over charged him for fixed charges and energy charges.