Residents protest high electricity billing in Gwagwalada

Residents of Gwagwalada, last Friday, protested over over-billing and poor services by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in the area. The protesters, under the auspices of  Gwagwalada Concern Forum (GCF),  in their hundreds, took over a major road in the area, carrying placards with different inscriptions and matched to the AEDC area office singing […]

Residents of Gwagwalada, last Friday, protested over over-billing and poor services by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in the area.

The protesters, under the auspices of  Gwagwalada Concern Forum (GCF),  in their hundreds, took over a major road in the area, carrying placards with different inscriptions and matched to the AEDC area office singing solidarity songs amid tight security.

The leader of the group, Dr. Umar Abubakar Sarki, said the peaceful demonstration was to express their displeasure over high electricity billing and poor services to customers in the area.

Dr, Sarki said, “Electricity does not last more than two or three hours and they will bring high bills to us at the end of every month. We have now decided to protest against the injustice.”

He said the AEDC management also embarked on indiscriminate disconnection of consumers in the town.

“It will also be an injustice where they expect people to come and pay electricity bills even though there is no light in this hot weather when many residents sleep outside,” he added.

The Gwagwalada AEDC Area Manager, Mr. Olasheni Agunpopo, while addressing the protesters, said the company had earmarked 17,000 pre-paid metres for installation next week.

“I will like to apologise on behalf of the AEDC for not meeting your demands because this is more like a feedback to us to let us know where to improve,” he said.

He assured that the company was working to meter the 35,000 customers they have in the company’s data base, adding that one of the steps taken was trying to get the population of unmetered customers in the area.

“I am assuring you that the most affected people will from this week start receiving their pre-paid meters in their premises,” he added.