The Indigenous People of Biafra has 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.
