Group Wants Electricity Power Distribution Companies Investigated Over Estimated Billing

                    

odogwuemekaodogwu.com reports that a group, National Coalition for Justice and Equity, yesterday, urged the Federal Government to investigate the activities of electric power distribution companies (DISCOs) over their continued over estimated billing system.

In a statement signed by the chairman of the group, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme and made available to journalists in Onitsha, the group however, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for privatising power sector but calls for installation of pre-paid meters in various households in Enugu distribution centre and beyond.

``We cherish the privatization of the power sector by Federal Government, but we cannot understand the continued over estimated billing system, which had made non-sense of the privatization move” it said.

It noted that despite poor power distribution, the DISCO companies charge arbitrary tariffs on the consumer, adding that  the privatization of power supply is meant to be the bedrock for sustainable socio-economic growth and development.

``But today, they (DISCOs) have deviated from the directive of Chairman of National Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr Sam Amadi, that bills should not be given to residents that don’t enjoy energy for two weeks.

``The over bloated estimated bills between N6,000 and N8,500 are charged on residents in Onitsha and its environs monthly,’’ he said.

The statement challenged the Federal Government to make sure that the payment of bills through estimated bills must be eradicated.

``Pre-paid meter should be made available and there should be an end to the estimated billing system regime in the country,’’ it added.

However, several calls made to Mr Osita Ugwuafo, Public Affairs Manager of Eungu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in Anambra, to comment on the issue proved abortive as he could not pick his calls.

Meanwhile most residents of Onitsha and its environs had previously made appeals to EEDC to provide them with the much-awaited pre-paid meters in order to stop estimation of bills as well as check electric usage rate disagreements.