Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Residents of the IyiowaOdekpe community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have protested against Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), accusing them of operating like a "mafia organization" and claiming systematic extortion and intimidation for several months. The community members alleged that EEDC gives them an estimated monthly billing of over N80,000, which they said is more than the minimum monthly wage. They demanded the immediate provision of prepaid meters, the cancellation of accumulated arrears resulting from inflated bills, and the restoration of electricity supply. The Chairman of the IyiowaOdekpe Landlords and Tenants Association, Chief Sunday Obinze, decried the hardship imposed on the community by EEDC, stating that the bills sent to postpaid users range between N80,000 and N130,000 monthly. The community previously paid between N18,000 and N28,000 monthly before the recent billing surge. The Secretary of the association, Dr. Okolie Chukwunonso, echoed Obinze's sentiments, calling on NERC to intervene and properly regulate EEDC to prevent further suffering of ordinary residents. The protesters called for urgent intervention by the government and regulatory bodies to ensure fair billing, provision of prepaid meters, and restoration of electricity. However, the Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, EmekaEzeh, noted the concerns and stated that the challenge of power supply is a national concern and not peculiar to EEDC or the South East region.