Crazy Bill: Abia Residents Protest, Petition NERC

By Our Reporter

Residents of Evina axis, a suburb of Aba, in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State, have protested what they described as crazy bills from Aba Power and have therefore petitioned the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) for intervention.

In a petition addressed to the officer in charge, NERC office in Umuahia and signed by Chief J.P. Ogboso, chairman and Prince I. U. Otisi, general secretary, the residents complained of what they said was the “unjust, arbitrary and highly exploitive electricity bills given to them by Aba Power in the months of January and February.

“These bills are above our income, salaries and rent. Before, we were paying between N6,000 to N8,000 par metre account in a month. But now, we are compelled to pay between N57,000 to N200,000 for the same metre account in a month.”

The residents said with this development, some of them who are living in apartments they pay rent of N3,000 per month, are now charged as high as N15,000 as electricity bill.

“The Aba Power does not read the meters, and how they arrive at the monthly energy consumption is a mystery to us, inspite of the fact we are living in the rural area (ghetto) of Aba, without any industry existing in our area.”

The people appealed to NERC to intervene as the bills are above their income, salaries and rent.

In a different letter written to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on the same issue, the people narrated how a good number of them have analog meters which are in good condition, but are never read before bills were given them.

“A good number of us have our analog meters in good condition, they stopped reading them for reasons best known to them.

“They also promised to give us pre paid meter which are yet to be delivered, and they are now hell bent on disconnecting us en mass.”

The people called on the senator who is representing them at the upper legislative chamber to intervene to save them from being forced to pay the outrageous electricity bills.

Aba Power PRO could not be reached for comments, however, a staff in the PR department of the organization who wouldn’t want his name in print said the bills sent out to her customers were approved by NERC.

He stated that the company can never act arbitrarily in billing customers, adding that it was only NERC that can act on the matter.