The Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, on Tuesday, sealed off the offices of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, in Enugu State.
The government took the action after EEDC announced that it would disconnect power supply to the Enugu State Government House and those of other state governments as well as institutions in the South-east over N180 billion debts.
According to the spokesperson of EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, on arrival at the EEDC headquarters, he alongside other staff of the company observed that their headquarters had been sealed.
“We were informed by the security men on duty that in the early hours of today (Tuesday) at about 1:53 a.m., a group of men came and locked up the gates, claiming that the state governor directed the action,” he said.
He said apart from the headquarters, their offices in Abakpa, Awkunanaw and Ogui Areas were also sealed off by the agency.
He said the development was “strange” given that there was no notice of any sort to the EEDC from the ECTDA.
“As at now, there has not been any clear information or communication from the ECDTA explaining their action,” he stated.
He observed the sealing of their offices might be connected to the notice by the EEDC to commence disconnection of its indebted customers from Tuesday.
“Enugu State Government happens to be one of the indebted customers with over N1 billion owed to EEDC. It is important to state that the majority of the state government’s facilities are metered. So, it is not a case of estimated billing.
“EEDC has about N180 billion as debt owed the company and has concluded plans to commence disconnection of indebted customers,” he said.
When contacted on Tuesday, the Chairperson of the ECTDA, Uche Anya, said he would not speak on the incident at the moment because he was going into a meeting with Governor Peter Mbah.
Asked to quickly confirm why the ECTDA sealed the offices of the electricity company, Mr Anyanwu responded “I will return your call.”
According to DailyTrust, he was yet to do so as of the time of the report.
IPOB’s Advice
On Monday, the Indigenous People of Biafra called on the South-East governors to cancel all power contracts with Enugu Electricity Distribution Company for being “an impediment to the development of the region.”
In a statement on Monday, the spokesman for the pro-Biafran group, Emma Powerful, said EEDC has proven to be incapable of providing reliable, adequate, and affordable electricity to support economic stimulation and growth of the South East.
Powerful alleged that the firm is just extorting money from the people of the South-East without providing reliable electricity.
The statement read in part, “The global family IPOB ably led by the leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, calls on the governors in the South-East to cancel all power contracts with Enugu Electricity Distribution Company for being an impediment to the development of the Region.
“The South-East governors should leverage the electricity deregulation policy of President Bola Tinubu’s government and engage other local or foreign electricity generation and distribution companies to take the place of the incompetent company called EEDC.
“The current electricity deregulation policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria has given powers to the state government to generate and distribute power to their state. Therefore, South-East governors must not subject the Eastern Region to darkness in order to please the insatiably greedy company called EEDC and its owner.
“Electricity is a catalyst for economic development and growth, which Ndigbo must not be denied at a time like this.
“South-East governors have no excuse for not providing reliable and efficient electricity in their states. The time of giving excuses with the monopoly of NEPA, PHCN, or EEDC is over. Now, the Federal Government Electricity deregulation has given them the power to hire and fire any electricity company in their state. Eastern region governors can come together and partner with a reputable power company that can provide steady and affordable electricity for the entire region.”
The group said the governors must ensure that there is adequate electricity in the region without further delay.
“Our attention has been drawn to the unconfirmed letter written to the South-East governors, universities, institutions, companies and communities by EEDC to come and pay what they did not consume and failure to do so EEDC will shut off their lights.
“We beg EEDC to jettison such an idea because we don’t want to use force on them, and if they want to test the power IPOB possesses, we will let them taste the venom. If they venture to cut any lights in the South-East this time around, we will react because we have endured enough. The citizens of the South East are charged to deal with anyone seen as EEDC representatives anywhere in our land who try to shut off people’s lights.
“Their extortion and incompetency should not be endured any longer. IPOB wants the governors to take responsibility for providing steady light in the South-East region. The development and progress of the South-East is dependent on these conditions.
“The South-East governors must wake up and demonstrate their willingness to drive economic development of the East via the provision of steady and affordable electricity by canceling all power deals with EEDC,” the statement further added.
