Some residents of Durumi, Phase 3 in Apo, Federal Capital Territory have called on their Minister, Malam Mohammed Bello, to intervene in the disconnection of power supply in their area by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.
The residents, who did not want their names mentioned, said they had paid their electricity bills up to-date and were not owing, wondering why they were disconnected.
According to them, just as people are thinking of how to cope and what to eat while in isolation, the AEDC was busy disconnecting power.
One of them said: “Even those who have paid beyond their current charges are being disconnected without any explanation.
“I, therefore, call on the FCT Minister to act swiftly before the case tilt out of hand.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that two employees of AEDC were attacked in February in Kabusa area of the FCT where they went to disconnect customers who were owing the company.
One of the employees died on the spot, while the other managed to escape with severe injuries and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Commenting on the issue, AEDC’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Oyebode Fadipe, said the company was an essential service outfit and so its staff have to be at work.
Fadipe said the reason for the disconnection could be as a result of danger and the need to cut off power supply.
He said the reason could also be that the “customer is owing.
“There is no law that says we should not disconnect.
“We did not touch the customer physically and to disconnect a customer, you don’t need to move close to the person.
“You just move to the pole and disconnect.
“Disconnecting a customer for reason of indebtedness or to remove danger does not expose the customer to COVID-19.
“So, we need to know why the disconnection is taking place.
“Nobody has done anything wrong except it is an illegal disconnection.”
Electricity consumers have oftentimes frowned at the attitude of AEDC officials who go to their homes to disconnect their power supply when no one was at home.
Some consumers said it was even more worrisome that after disconnection, the AEDC personnel make away with the cables and after payment of bills, they use substandard cables to reconnect the consumers.
NAN.
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