Group petitions Buhari on poor services, excesses of EEDC in S’East

A human rights organisation, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, CRRAN, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to save electricity consumers in the South-East geopolitical zone.

According to the petition titled, ‘‘Recklessness and lawlessness of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company affecting development and imposing untold hardship on the citizens of South-East Nigeria’’ signed by CRRAN’s President, Olu Omotayo, the situation has become unbearable and the people are lamenting like orphans.

“We write to you in respect of the above-mentioned matter which if not urgently addressed will put the entire South-East in a very backward position.

‘‘The way and manner that officials of this company carry out their activities without due regard to the rule of law is worrisome.

Electricity supplies are disconnected at will to the homes of individuals and communities without any reasonable excuse and our investigations revealed that complaints of the affected communities and individuals are treated with disdain and are not responded to.

The company’s sole aim is to milk citizens to make maximum profit without providing the required services.

“Electricity is vital in a developing country like ours and it should not be entirely left in the hands of a private company who misuse the privilege;

use it as a tool of oppression against our people. We shall give few instances of the acts of oppression of the company which we submit should never be allowed in a decent, civilised and democratic society.

“The disconnection of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State from the national grid on June 8, we spearheaded a campaign for the restoration of electricity supply to this local government

and had to make complaints to the Minister of Power, Mines and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, vide a petition dated September 2 on the plight of residents of the local government.

“Residents had complained to us that they were deprived of access to electricity supply since June 8 by EEDC which alleged that some youths of Eha-Amufu community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area came to its office in the local government,

beat up its staff and damaged ladders when they protested the insensitivity of the company in issuing residents outrageous bills that do not match their power consumption; flagrant disconnection of electricity supply, among other excesses of the company.

“We were further informed that after the protest, EEDC quickly went to the Nkalagu sub-station and disconnected the area,” the group said.

Moses Oyediran, Enugu