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The Enugu State government closed the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company’s (EEDC) offices on Tuesday, after the company neglected to install prepaid meters as required by NERC regulations, leaving customers without the mandated meters.
The company stands accused of perpetuating a brazen scheme to defraud customers in the state, relying on inflated estimates to line its pockets. In a stunning display of arrogance, it has even disconnected some government offices, citing fictional debts, a move deemed unlawful, vindictive, and utterly ruthless.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has denounced the sudden takeover of its offices by state government officials, who swooped in without warning on Tuesday. This brazen move has brought EEDC’s operations to a grinding halt, the company’s communications chief, Emeka Eze, revealed in a statement.
In a precursor to this latest development, the company had last week served notice of its plan to disconnect power to all government-owned properties, institutions, and organizations, claiming a staggering debt of over N18 billion.
Read also: Properties Destroyed As Customer Attacks EEDC Workers
On Tuesday, the Enugu State government, represented by Secretary Prof Chidiebere Onyia, challenged EEDC’s assertion of a N1.3 billion debt, pointing to the state’s reliable payment history and the resolution of a two-month debt backlog.
The government emphasized that settling the debts aligns with Governor Peter Mbah’s pledge to honor all outstanding electricity bills inherited from previous administrations, demonstrating his dedication to fiscal responsibility.
The letter titled “Re: Notice of Disconnections to Indebted Customers and Actual Disconnections of Enugu State Government Offices,” read in part, “Enugu State Government received the disconnection notice published in national daily newspapers. We have also received the information that EEDC has disconnected some Enugu State government institutions.
“We note that both the publication of notice of disconnections and the actual disconnections on Saturday, 8th June 2024, were based on wrong premises and total disregard for NERC rules and standing Orders on estimated billing of Maximum demand customers.
