Review licenses of electricity companies, lawmaker tells FG

A passionate appeal has gone to the Federal Government to urgently review the licenses granted to Electricity Distribution Companies in the country, particularly the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), and immediate withdrawal or cancellation of the licenses of incompetent DISCOs.

A federal lawmaker, Representing Afikpo North/ Afikpo South Federal Constituency, Idu Igarewey made the call during a Town Hall meeting with his Constituents in Ukpa Town Hall in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi state.

The lawmaker while absolving the state and federal governments of any blame, laid the cup at the door of EEDC which he described as incompetent and incapable of providing quality service to the people.

“We should lay the blame where it is. For today, government is no longer responsible for the distribution of power; it has gone to private hands. In our own case it is EEDC.

So, if something has gone to a private hand and if that person is not providing the service, then that person should be held responsible. So nobody should hold government responsible, whether state or federal government, the proper person to hold responsible is EEDC”.

“The point I want to make about EEDC is that they lack the capacity to do the job, they are completely out of their depths, they have been unable to invest in infrastructure and I am very sure they must have deceived government into giving them a licence. They are completely incompetent and I see it as a systemic problem with the company.

“I am recommending that the federal government should review the licenses granted to distribution companies. I am not making a blanket condemnation of all of them; some of them are quite responsible. I do my work in Abuja and I think that Abuja Distribution Company is quite responsible.

“When you review you see the good and bad aspect of what you are reviewing and that is what I am recommending. The federal government should review the discos to see those that cannot go on with this business”.

The Lawmaker who expressed outrage at the poor power supply to his constituency lamented that many small and medium scale businesses in the area have closed down due to the poor power supply to the area.

He noted that the situation has also led to loss of hundreds of jobs by the youths and further worsening the unemployment and economic situation of the people.

Charles Onyekwere, Abakaliki