By Onu Okorie
South East Electricity Consumers Association SEECA has frowned and condemned the 300% increase in tariff announced by the Federal government, and strongly request that prepaid meters be installed to every household and businesses before the implementation.
This was part of the resolutions taken after the 4th April 2024 meeting held in all the five South East States of Nigeria.
The meeting was held in order to provide a collective voice and advocate for the rights of the consumers, to enjoy the full benefits of accessing electricity without let or hinder.
According to the resolution, “from this day the 4th April, 2024, no consumer of electricity under the DisCo EEDC should pay for prepaid meter/s. Meter/s is the property of EEDC and therefore by law must be issued free to consumers.
“No individual/s or community/s should buy or provide transformers for their electricity consumption. If that is very unavoidable, the transformer procurement should be done after negotiations and MOUs with the EEDC or Geometrics.
“In that case if feasible, the cost of the transformer/s should be imputed in the energy usage of the consumers involved by the DisCo
“EEDC must give at least two weeks’ notice after delivery of bills on consumption as estimated if not contested, before cutting of lights.
“They also demand that estimated bills be stopped and prepaid meters issued to all consumers or else, consumer lights must not be cut.
“Next meeting of SEECA slated on Thursday 2nd May, 2024 in all nooks and crannies of the South East of Nigeria.
“Request that all consumers should not hinder, fight or quarrel with any EEDC staff climbing your house/s with ladder/s to cut your light.
“After the meeting of the 2nd May, 2024, we will announce a period of one month’s warning strike to remain in darkness as EEDC had trained us and put us in a developed immunity to darkness.
“By this period of strike, as we’re highly mobilized and sensitized, no consumer will pay any Kobo to EEDC.
“Those on prepaid will not recharge. Let’s test and be in total darkness as a warning before other reconcilable steps are announced. We will act in good faith to strengthen the operations of the EEDC to deliver their contractual responsibility.”
