By Gabriel Ewepu

ELECTRICITYconsumers under the auspices of Network for Electricity Consumers Advocacy of Nigeria, NECAN, at the weekend, have threatened to occupy all offices of 11 Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement signed by the National Secretary, NECAN, Uket Obonga, while reacting to the alleged moves by the DisCos to disconnect electricity consumers across the country based on huge debts owed them.

Uket described the move as flimsy excuse, and said the debts owed as claimed by the DisCos were products of arbitrary and outrageous billing, which was done in breach of the estimated billing methodology, EBM, guidelines put in place by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.

According to him, the occupy of DisCos will be done if the National Assembly, Consumer Protection Commission, CPC,  NERC, Organised labour, Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, and well meaning Nigerians fail to rise up to condemn and stop the planned mass disconnection of exploited consumers.

He said: “The planned nation-wide mass disconnections by 11 Distribution Companies, DisCos, on the flimsy excuse of huge debts owed by consumers is untenable and must not be allowed.

“The so-called debts owed the DisCos are products of arbitrary, unsupported and unreasonable billing, which is often done in total breach of estimated billing methodology, EBM, guidelines put in place by Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC.

“We in the Network for Electricity Consumers Advocacy of Nigeria, NECAN, view the planned mass disconnection of electricity consumers in the various franchise areas of the DisCos as a punitive measure on investors who have demonstrated to Nigerians that they lack both financial and technical capacity and ability to manage our national assets handed to them undeservedly.”