Residents Protest High Bills by Abuja Disco in Kogi
Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
Residents in Lokoja are planning to stage a mass protest against the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) over astronomical increase in electricity bills are being distributed to customers who live in residential areas.
Investigations further revealed that electricity bills had been hiked on monthly basis by at least 30 per cent for the past three months.
Sources hinted that occupants of “face me, I face you” one room apartment had their bill increased from N5,700 to N12,700 from the initial while users of two bedroom flat also paid N12,700 as bill each month.
To make matters worse, our investigations revealed that the AEDC has devised what some called a “dubious means” to get more revenue by separating customers in a building and giving them separate bills of N12,700 each, which ordinarily should be shared among the occupants of the building.
It was gathered that at residents in a compound located at No. 12 JJ street, behind Ava Hotel in Lokoja, who are mostly low income earners, were made to cough out over N380,000 a month on electricity bills while one-storey building that used to pay N8,700 is now paying over N50,000 a month.
It was learnt that several customers who went to complain at the AEDC office were turned back on the excuse that the Abuja headquarters of the transmission company was the one who gave the blanket monthly increments as they were helpless over the matter.
One of the aggrieved customers, Mrs. Hajara Danladi, who spoke to our correspondent over the incessant hike in the electricity bills said the bills brought was too harsh and anti-masses and did not commensurate with the supply of the electricity nor did it put into cognisance the economic hardships of the customers and urged the AEDC management to immediately review hike or face the wrath of the people.
Our correspondent visited the AEDC office along IBB Way near the UBA, spoke to a woman who identified herself as Mrs. Folashade and head of customers care unit stated that the bill has come to stay and that the customers have to bear the cost since for the weeks the electricity supply has been slightly improved.
She said the bills may even increase to N15,700 by September and by December it may hit N20,700 saying since the people demanded for improvement in electricity supply, this is the price to pay for it.
