- Calls on Governor Bello to wade into matter
From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The Nigerian Union of Journalists Kogi State Council has lambasted the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for imposing “outrageous monthly bills” on customers, with a call to Governor Yahaya Bello to immediately intervene.
In a statement signed by the state chairman Comrade Momoh jimoh Adeiza and the secretary, Seidu Ademu and made available to newsmen on Tuesday, it expressed shock that the AEDC was giving out over #15,000 per building in Lokoja as monthly bills wondering how ordinary citizens can be able to cope
Describing the action as insensitive and wicked the NUJ said the Electricity Distribution Company was adding more burdens and pains to the citizens by increasing the bills monthly without commensurate service and urged them to reverse the trend as it could lead to the breakdown of law and order.
The statement reads: “The Nigeria union of journalists observed the unbridled attitude of the Abuja Electricity and Distribution Company (AEDC) in doling out outrageous monthly bills to customers, especially in Lokoja, the Kogi State Capital without a commensurate service rendered to the customers
“The Council noted that this attitude started between August – September 2022 when there was a noticeable slight improvement in the electricity supply within the Lokoja metropolis which AEDC hurriedly latched on to increase the monthly bills from the usual ₦3,000- ₦4,000 per building to ₦6,000- ₦8,000
“By October, AEDC in its usual attitude without putting into consideration the biting economic situation in the country and the ability of customers to pay again increased the bill to ₦11, 700.
“Responding to the cry and barrage of complaints from members of the public, and in fulfilling our social responsibility mandate of being the mirror and watchdog of the society, members of the union decided to seek enquiry with the organization as to why the rash increase of the bill are being orchestrated without a corresponding service
“To our utter dismay, no official of the AEDC in the state was willing to furnish us with information over this abysmal increase, rather the monthly bills keep on increasing astronomically such that the January monthly bills rose to #14,700 while the latest February bill has also been jerked up to ₦15, 300
“This is in spite of the fact that the electricity supply has dropped drastically between eight to ten hours a day to a miserable three to four hours a day and in most cases some areas in the state capital experience a total outage for days or weeks without any explanation from the distribution company while the bills keep on running.
“The union also observed that the AEDC flagrantly refused to make available the Pre Paid Metres to members of the public even when payments had been made but rather take delight in giving out a blanket monthly outrageous bills to its customers without even reading the metres
“In light of the above, the union is calling on the Kogi State House of Assembly and particularly Governor Yahaya Bello to immediately wade into this matter and call the management of AEDC to order as these heartless monthly increments may result in the breakdown of law and order as the saying goes that a dog that is pushed to the wall has no alternative than to bark and bite
“The current hardship of fuel scarcity, water scarcity, incessant electricity outages and the cash crunch being experienced by residents of the state should not be further compounded by AEDC’s propensity of making more money to the detriment of the customers without recourse for wearing a human face,” the statement added.