Nnono Community in Ikwuano LGA of Abia State on Friday accused the Umuahia Network Service of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (EEDC) of series of malpractices including illegal disconnection of electricity supply, extortion and used of armed military personnel to intimidate and harass the community.
In a strongly worded petition titled ‘WRONGFUL/ ILLEGAL DISCONNECTION OF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO NNONO COMMUNITY, IKWUANO LGA, SINCE APRIL 2023, and INVASION OF NNONO COMMUNITY WITH ARMED SOLDIERS the Community petitioned the Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC); accusing the Umuahia Network Service of the EEDC of illegal and unjustified disconnection of electricity to the community since April 2023.
The petitioners further alleged that the EEDC enacted similar illegal disconnection in 2019 and power was only restored after the sum of N1,946,000 was extorted from the community
In its explanation, the Community stated that it paid the mutually agreed sum of N300,000/monthly to EEDC account on April 12, 2023, but the next day the EEDC Service Manager at its Amawom-Oboro sub-unit led armed officers of the Department of State Security Services to an invasion of the Community and illegal disconnection of electricity alleging late payment
The petitioners averred that the same Service Manager had earlier advised the Community to pay the monthly fee to another account different from the one given to them by EEDC into which a total of N1,750, 000 has been paid from January to June, 2023.
“The Service Manager also falsely informed the Network Manager at Umuahia that Nnono was not paying at all and that Nnono people were not allowing their staff to disconnect us”,
The petitioners further stated that every efforts to resolve the impasse has met a brick wall as the Service Manager at Amawom-Oboro and Network Manager at Umuahia have between them slammed bills of ₦1,300,000 and N140 million debt on the community, but have failed to prove why the payment should be increased beyond the fact that ‘Nnono Community is blessed with wealthy individuals’.
Raising queries that needs to be resolved the Community stated “It is worthy to note that the same EEDC claimed that Nnono was owing a total of N43Million as at 2020 (from inception). How did the same Community consume another N97Million between 2020 and June 2023. This is not only laughable but depicts some fraudulent manipulations. The Network Manager and his team have not been able to explain how the Community came about the huge debt.
“It is necessary to state that EEDC has always been exploiting our people. They did not carry out any repairs or replacement without collecting money from our people. The Community has always paid for the replacement of any damaged accessories. They have always refused to discuss issues regarding supply on the transmission line as Nnono and other Communities along the same line do not receive electricity supply like communities along the road.
“We therefore request that you use your good office to call them to order, apologise to us for all wrongful accusations and threats and restore electricity to our Community without further delay. We shall not hesitate to take appropriate actions which we consider necessary in this regard”
The petition signed by the traditional rulers of Oruigwe autonomous communitiy in Nnono , HRH Eze Chukwuemeka Ezeoma ; And the chairmen of its Development Association, at Lagos and at home respectively Messrs Kenneth A. Ogwuma and Chief Emmanuel Onyemerekwe; And vice chairmen, respectively Pastor Okechukwu John Iroha and DSP Ikechukwu Okey
The petition was copied to: The Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Commission, NEC, Abuja; Senator Austin Akobundu, National Assembly, Abuja ; Hon. Boniface Isienyi, Member, Abia State House of Assembly; The Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Umuahia; The Special Adviser to the Governor of Abia State on Security; Chief Osinachi Nwaka -The T/C Chairman/Mayor, Ikwuano LGA and The Divisional Police Officer, Ikwuano LG.