Information reaching NaijaBlitzNews has indicate that residents of Byazhin a rural community in Kubwa in the FCT are kicking against the arbitrary increase of electricity tariff in the area despite the untold hardship faced by Nigerians which has led to protest across the country.
They are calling on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the minister of Power to immediately call the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company to order by immediately reversing this unpopular decision to deceitfully migrate residents from Band “C” where they have being as a rural community to Band “A”.
While speaking to NaijaBlitzNews in Kubwa, residents of the area who were visibly angry over the action of AEDC said staff of the company deceitfully requested for their meter numbers to upgrade the system but unknown to them the action was to systematically obtain this information for the purpose of increasing the tariff.
As a result of this action residents are now paying through their noses. A member of the community who have chosen to remain unanimous for now said he discovered this deceitful act after availing his meter number to staff of AEDC who were on routine check but two days later on recharge of his meter discovered that N2,000 recharge only lasted for less than two days.
The story is the same for other residents who have innocently released information on their electricity meter numbers to staff of AEDC in Byazhin over a false upgrade claim.
According to residents now, this migration of all meters in the area from Band “C” to “A” is causing untold hardship on the people who are predominantly very low income earners and poorest of the poor.
Residents of the area are complaining that with this development, a planned protest will be inevitable if the management of AEDC fails to address this injustice that is been metted out to them who are already groaning under serious economic hardship.
A circular has already been sent to residents over these developments for the conbening of an emergency meeting and it read in part; “Something sinister is beginning to happen to our electricity consumption for the past few days.
“AEDC is now systematically migrating our various meters to band A from the original band C. Are we expected as a rural community to be charged same as residents of Maitama, Wuse, Apo and all the other high brow areas in the FCT?”.
“Funny enough this senseless fraud is coming at a time when the Nigerian people are protesting the high cost of living on all fronts and with the people calling for the reversal of fuel subsidy and a stop to increase in electricity tariff”.
“We should all stand up and resist this obnoxious action by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company by marching to its office here in Byazhin to register our displeasure and to say #No To Forceful Migration From Band “C” to Band “A” for residents of Byazhin including across and beyond.”
“This action shows insensitivity by the management of the AEDC and we must insist on our stands.”
“For our information, I learnt that staff of AEDC have been going round to collect the meter numbers of all residents of Byazhin under the pretence of upgrading but the underlining plot is to perpetuate this wicked and retrogressive plan against the people”.
“The time to act is NOW.”