EXTORTION: COMMUNITIES IN OWERRI-WEST CRY OUT OVER HIGH TARRIF BY EEDC.

By Our Reporter.

Electricity consumers in Owerri-west have cried out to the EEDC authorities in the State over the spate of extortion by their Staff in the localities.

A survey by this Reporter revealed that consumers in Avu, Orogwe, Irete and Oforola are worse hit.

At Irete, consumers pay as high as ten thousand naira without regular supply of light.

Reports say at Orogwe electricity consumers pay as much as twenty thousand naira per building.

A Consumer in Orogwe, a tenant, Henry Nwagbo, told this Paper that they get light about eight times in a month adding that out of this eight times, light would come regularly for two days preparatory to the heavy payment at the end of the month.

According to the Consumer , “the light comes in the midnight and is taken by 6.30am the next morning.

The Consumers also complained of their inability to procure Prepaid meters while some said the order they placed over ten months were yet to be delivered to them.

Around November last year, there was an altercation between EEDC Staff and youths in a village in Orogwe.

This Reporter was told that EEDC, operating in a non-customized Busimo had not given the village light in October but came to pick bills in November. They did not only come to disconnect the lights but also took the cables away as well.

It was in an attempt to cart away the cable of a particular building, from the pole, that problem started.

However, elders from Community rescued the EEDC Staff from aggrieved consumers.

The village later payed a heavy fine after a peace talk before their line was restored.

In an interview, a youth leader in the village decried the heavy billing of the community wondering if these field officers render accurate accounts to the office.

The Youth leader quoted an EEDC female Staff as having told him that they need to pay the driver of the hired bus, take a little for themselves and then remit something to the office.

[25/01, 19:25] Rev Innocent Osuoha: Late Chimuanya in the pool of his own blood.