Why we didn’t attend Enugu Assembly’s public hearing – Enugu DISCO

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, has adduced reasons for its absence as the Enugu House of Assembly kicked off a 3-day public hearing on its activities in the State.

The House had earlier declared a state of emergency on the EEDC over alleged outrageous billing and inefficient service.

Mr. Emeka Ezeh, the EEDC head of communication said “the company was not duly invited to the three-day public hearing organised by the Enugu State House of Assembly which commenced today at the House of Assembly complex, Enugu. This is a clear indication of the motive behind this whole activity.

“It was just yesterday evening, Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at about 5pm that we received a letter from The Chairman, Enugu State Special Committee on EEDC Crises, Office of the Deputy Speaker, inviting our Managing Director/CEO and our organization to the public hearing scheduled for today, Wednesday, April 26, 2017; and Wednesday May 3rd, and Wednesday May 10th 2017, respectively.

“We however, as a matter of courtesy, acknowledged the letter and requested that the public hearing be rescheduled to enable us attend, as our management already had prior mandatory engagements with the national electricity regulatory agencies of the Federal Government on urgent matters concerning the electricity sector.”

“It is important to note that we are a highly regulated business, with an existing and efficient customer redress mechanism, approved and monitored by our Regulator, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). This has been working and several complaints addressed via this process.

“As a business, we have consciously strengthened this process by extending our customer service desk to our 147 Service Centers, in addition to our 18 District Offices and corporate headquarters.

“Members of the public need to come to terms with the fact that EEDC is no longer a public enterprise, but now a private enterprise. They should be responsible in paying their electricity bills, as that is the only way we can effectively provide quality service to them”, he further stated.

Meanwhile, while ‎declaring the public hearing open, Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Ubosi, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Dons Uzogbado, said that the public hearing became necessary because Enugu State was at war with EEDC.

“Enugu State is at war. The economy of Enugu State is being attacked. We pay electricity bill more than other states. We are making sure that this monster does not send us to our doom.

“Small scale businesses are suffering in Enugu State. If this continues, our people may take up arms. This particular war is economic. We are not going to hurt or insult anybody. We want the world to hear us,” Ubosi said pointing out that state of emergency had to be declared, “because our people are suffering.”

All the participants that attended the public hearing from the five local governments that make up the Enugu West Senatorial Zone, accused the EEDC of high-handedness and exorbitant estimated bill occasioned by non-provision of prepaid metres.

The Transitional chairman of Aninri Local Government Area, Hon Chidi Ekwe, said that it was criminal that EEDC would give the people exorbitant bill but would turn blind eye when it comes to maintaining their installations or replacing same when they get spoilt.