Lawmaker petitions NASS over EEDC N2.1bn estimated billing

Rep. Ibe Osonwa (LP-Abia) has petitioned the National Assembly, seeking explanations why some communities in the Ohafia Local Government area of Enugu have been denied power supply for five years.

He said, in spite of the blackout for five years, exorbitant bills to the tune of N2.1 billion were being presented to the affected communities.

Osonwa, in a petition he submitted to the House of Representatives in Abuja on Friday, said that the communities were seeking explanation on how they accumulated a bill of N2.1bn in spite of not having power supply for five years.

According to him, several attempts have been made towards the amicable resolution of the lingering issues caused by the perpetual darkness in the affected communities, but to no avail.

He said that in spite of efforts made by Abia State deputy governor, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu, who is from the affected area, to ensure that the communities celebrate Christmas with power, it wasn’t achieved.

According to him, the Deputy Governor did all he could within his power, from replacing fallen poles and lines that were down to saying a lot of money has been spent by the community, but to no avail.

“The EEDC claimed that one of the lingering issues is alleged vandalism, which the governor and his deputy have agreed to resolve.”

He said the most worrisome of the issues raised by EEDC was the over N2.1bn debt billed against the communities. How was it accumulated? He quarried.

“What they are telling us is that we should pay the money and they will give us power, but we are telling them to supply us power, then we resolve the so-called outstanding debt.”

He said that the estimated bill presented to the communities by EEDC was unjustified and unwarranted.

He said even his biological father, who died nearly three years ago, was presented with an outstanding debt for the power he consumes, amounting to N600,000.