Imo workers shut down EEDC over increase in electricity tariff
By Francesca Hangeior
The Imo state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, on Monday shut down the office of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, over hike in electricity tariff.
Others affected by the picketing were the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, and Distribution Companies, DisCos.
Addressing newsmen in Owerri, the NLC Chairman, Comrade Uche Chigamezu Nwigwe, said they had to take action against the EEDC and others because of the untold pains the residents of the state are currently passing through as a result of the increase in electricity tariff.
According to Chigamezu, “For over one month now EEDC and regulatory bodies have thrown Imo residents especially workers into untold hardship with the exorbitant bill they bring that they did not consume. Our national Secretariat has given us directives to picket all the offices of NERC, Discos and EEDC in the state starting from today Monday.
“Since 3rd of April when the Federal Government increased Electricity tariff to over 200 percent, the distribution bodies have turned Imo workers to milking cow. For us, the increase in tariff is fraud and criminal because they are paying more now with no lights to show for it.”
Speaking also, the chairman Imo state chapter of TUC, Comrade Charles Amalu, was of the view that; “The consumption of Imo State is 120 megawatts but we regret that DisCos is providing between 12 and 15 megawatts. I want to ask this question, how can we have lights with the shortage of provision of megawatts?
“Today, in Imo State, only 10 percent of residents have prepaid meters while 90 percent have unestimated bills thrown to them. I want to say this, the World Bank has given support for the provision of prepaid meters but the regulatory bodies have decided to subject Nigerians to suffering. So, the essence of privatization has been defeated, this Discos is a known evil to Nigerians.”