Electricity consumers in Badagry communities, Lagos State have decried epileptic electricity supply, lack of prepaid meters and estimated billings by Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).
The consumers, who came from the three councils in Badagry, registered their displeasure during a town hall meeting with the management team of EKEDC at Badagry Local Government Secretariat in Ajara.
The Depegan of Badagry, Chief Tunde Giro, said EKEDC management made them feel like strangers in their fatherland because of erratic power supply.
‘While Agbara and its environs are enjoying uninterrupted electricity supply, we in Badagry are in darkness.
‘This darkness does not reflect in our electricity bills because we are given estimated bills monthly.
‘We have applied for prepaid meters, but we were not given. While some residents have paid almost N150,000 to get the meter, the company has refused to give it to them.
‘We are appealing to the management of EKEDC to rectify this abnormality and restore regular power supply to us,’ he said.
A trader at Agbalata market in Badagry, Mr Eze Bassey, said many store owners have relocated to Agbara because of a power outage by EKEDC.
‘The worst part of it is the estimated bills they bring every month.
‘When we don’t enjoy electricity supply for three to four hours in a day, the bill is between N25,000 and N35,000 monthly.
‘We have applied for prepaid meters on several occasions, but they didn’t give us,’ he said.
Mr Jacob Setonji, an engineer and resident of Badagry West Local Council Development Area, urged EKEDC to be fair to Badagry consumers because they are paying for darkness.
He said he lived in Agbara and enjoyed uninterrupted power supply, adding that anytime he came to his countryside, darkness always cut short his stay.
Head, Distribution Operations, EKEDC, Henry Ukoh, said consumers would be given meters. He advised them to be patient.
On the irregular power supply in Badagry, he says the electricity demand is higher than what the company can make available now.
He assured customers that regular electricity supply would soon be restored to them.
On estimated billings, the General Manager, Commercial, EKEDC, Mr Dave Adeniji, said estimated billing was actually capped by law.
According to him, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said on certain categories of customers, you cannot bill beyond this level.
‘They’re trying to control and monitor us. This is a regulated organisation, so if you do anything beyond, the regulator will sanction us,’ he said.
Dignitaries at the meeting were Prince Yemi Akran, the initiator of the town hall meeting, Chief Finhento, white cap chiefs and the Akran Palace Cabinet, who made the electricity summit and meeting possible.
Others are the representative of the Area Controller of Seme Customs, Comptroller A. Kaila, representative of Nigerian French Language Village, representative of Army, FRSC and residents of Badagry communities.