By Felix Ogbonna

Artisans in Aba, Abia State have protested against high electricity bills and poor electricity supply by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC. The artisans who marched along major roads in Aba including the Azikiwe, Market and Tenant, Mosque, Kent and Georges streets, chanting slogans and denouncing the poor services allegedly provided by the EEDC.

•Protesting artisans

The artisans who were also, shop owners carried placards which read; “No power, no payment,” “Let EEDC save our businesses, give us light and electricity is a vital tool to our work,” among others.

In an interview with South East Voice, the leader of the protesting artisans, Elder Festus Njoku said they were unhappy over the high tariff charged by EEDC even when there was little or no supply of power coupled with lack of maintenance of electricity facilities.

“For example, we have been on load shedding for more than three days now. We are not sure of the one day supply of electricity in a week. We are being charged high and estimated electricity bills even in areas that have not had light for more than two months. We pay for what we do not consume.

“Most of us are tailors, hairdressers, furniture makers. Before now, we paid around N5, 000 for electricity, but we are being charged between N24,000 and 30,000 monthly per shop even when power is not supplied. In our houses, we pay N10, 000 and you are not even sure of the electricity supply. We now use generators, since EEDC does not give us power. How can we survive under this type of harsh condition?” Njoku asked

They then urged the EEDC to improve on its billing system as well as stop issuing estimated bills and charge consumers for the energy they consumed monthly.

“They can even stop their electricity supply since we now rely on generators to operate. We have petitioned the EEDC Aba, but they have not said anything,” Njoku added.

When South East Voice visited the business office of the EEDC on Ikot Ekpene road, a senior official of the company, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the problems of consumers in Aba and other areas in the district were being addressed.