Electricity Consumers Set for Indefinite Strike, Reject Migration to Band A, Others
- Residents in the southeastern part of Nigeria are set to embark on an indefinite strike in protest of electricity tariff hikes and others
- The recent increase in electricity tariff has continued to generate a lot of criticism from both public and private quarters
- The intending protesters encouraged fellow residents to stop paying for electricity and remain without power in protest
Legit.ng journalist Victor Enengedi has over a decade's experience covering Energy, MSMEs, Technology and the stock market.
The Southeast Electricity Consumers Association (SEECA) has announced that residents in the region will embark on an indefinite strike starting from November 1.
In a statement issued on Sunday, SEECA's national chairman, Okechukwu Obioha, highlighted ongoing disputes with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), particularly concerns about the alleged migration of all consumers to Band A, as key reasons for the planned strike.
Source: UGC
Consumers protest Band A migration
It would be recalled that Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved a N240% increment in the electricity tariff for Band A consumers.
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Consumers in this category enjoy a guaranteed minimum daily provision of 20 hours of electricity.
It is worth noting that since the categorisation and increase in tariff, many communities have protested planned upgrades to the highly expensive category.
Obioha criticised the discriminatory "banding" system applied to electricity consumers and advocated for a standardised tariff that would apply equally to all consumers in the southeast region.
He said:
“The resolution is this day the 13th October, 2024, stated unequivocally that from the 1st November, 2024, there will be an indefinite strike by all electricity consumers (customers) in the southeast.”
Obioha further noted that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) had failed to follow NERC's directive to refund N11.86 billion to consumers who were overcharged between January and September 2023.
He emphasised the need for distribution companies (DisCos) operating in the region to urgently begin repairs and supply critical equipment such as transformers, wires, cables, poles, prepaid meters, and other essential components required for effective electricity distribution.
He added:
“EEDC and Aba Power Ltd, Geometric, must as a matter of urgent importance take stock and commence an assemblage, repair and replacement of all bad transformers, begin to provide wires, cables and poles as required by NERC regulations."
Obioha urged NERC and, by extension, the Federal Government to instruct the EEDC, Aba Power Ltd and Geometric to halt electricity supply to all consumers in the region until the outlined conditions are fulfilled.
He added that the association would leverage its network to inform and mobilise community leaders, encouraging them to stop paying for electricity and remain without power in protest.
Ikeja Electric, EKEDC upgrade more customers to Band A
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Ikeja Electric Plc and Eko Electricity Distribution Company were permitted to incorporate extra Band A feeders into their respective networks.
The electricity distribution firms communicated these updates through individual announcements on their official social media channels.
While Ikeja Electric increased its number of Band A feeders by 34, EKEDC increased its own by 33 more.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
