Bail is free. That’s what the law says. But wait until you get behind the counter in any police station.
It is a similar situation in Enugu today where the demand for pre paid meter has continued to rise due to outrageous bills by EEDC for those not yet lucky to get the pre paid meter.
The recent case involving a Micro Finance Bank is a tip-of-the-iceberg. If an institution like a bank could be so treated, what happens to millions of customers who have no voice?
The bank had earlier made a complaint to the NERC Forum file a Complaint NO: NERC/05/CA/FO/EN/21/1259.
“Wherein it complained of refusal by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), to install Prepaid meter for the bank despite the application for installation of meter made to the company since 2019, and arbitrary, excessive electricity bills calculated based on estimated billing.
“…after the complaint was filed the company in annoyance brought a punitive bill of N368,790 :71K, contrary to the bill of N67,535 :42K, earlier brought by the marketer for the same month of April 2021.”
EEDC reportedly invaded the bank, in a ‘barbaric’ fashion disrupting transactions, to carry out the unlawful disconnection.
The Bank in a petition expressed surprise that the Electricity Distribution Company could flagrantly disobey the verdict of the Enugu forum of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC.
This is a little picture of what power consumers are passing through in the hands of EEDC.
They have refused to provide the meter preferring the primitive estimation billing system with which they ‘criminally’ rip off the poor.
EverydayNews went to town and can reliably report that in their desperation to get pre paid meter Enugu residents now pay N20, 000. This is called registration fee.
The amount is however, negotiable for buildings where a landlord requires more than one meter.
Without this registration fee, your application for a meter is as good as not written. This is what Ohha Community Bank is suffering.
Who says meter is free?
Some of the victims who spoke to us said they had to pay to save themselves from.the agony of outrageous bills.
“They will only tell you to make some payment so that you won’t be disconnected. Yet the bills keek increasing by the day. .my brother we were advised to pay the N20k and in less than three weeks the meter was installed.”
While concerned Nigerians await the outcome of the current faceoff between the EEDC and Ohha Community Bank Enugu, the authorities must save power consumers under the EEDC from this wickedness.
The bank is demanding N50M as damages and are threatening to go to court.
Also calling the bluff of NERC, the regulatory body speaks volumes and raises so many questions.
EEDC’s impunity is getting out of hand and something MUST be done before we have another ‘EndSARS’ in our hands.
Except the noise that pre paid meter is free is another Government magic to deceive the people.
The issue of metering and outrageous bills are just part of the many atrocious complaints against an ill equipped EEDC.
Something must be done and fast.
