… send SOS to minister
Aggrieved residents of Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State have protested against poor electricity supply to the area by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company.
The protesters, numbering over 2,000, held a rally in different parts of the state capital, chanting “Light up Lokoja” as they moved around the city. They also sent a “Save Our Soul” message to Adebayo Adedibu, the minister of power, over their plight.
Led by Iliyasu Zakari and Ibrahim Shuaibu Nuhu, they lamented that the city had been experiencing constant power outages in the metropolis for over one month.
They displayed placards with inscriptions such as “AEDC, give us light,” “We are tired of no supply of light in Geregu, Danladi must go,” and “Adelabu, please prevail on AEDC to give us regular light,” among others.
“AEDC should give us light when the step down in Zango has light, instead of giving us light for several hours a day. The rationing of light supply for now is 10am to 2pm and 11pm to 2 am per feeder.”
They pleaded with the minister to “call NERC to order for not calling the AEDC to order over the unending power disruption in Lokoja.”
The protesters with their SOS letter: “We want the minister to call NERC to order so that NERC can call AEDC to order and restore stable light to us. We implore the minister to verify our claims.
“We have consistently prevailed on NERC to call AEDC to order but to no avail. That is why we are sending our SOS through various madia organisations to the minister so that he would prevail on NERC to order AEDC to supply power to our area, instead of giving us flimsy excuses that they are not making money from the town. This is a surprise to us as we are paying our bills.
“We are surprised at the company excuses and for NERC to allow such excuse when so many of us are being ripped off with over billing”.
“We urge AEDC to find a way of dealing with debtors of electricity in the area instead of giving us light for only four hours daily,” the protest letter maintained.
Also contained in the protest letter presented by Yabagi Muhammed to management staff of the AEDC was the demand that both the regional and area managers be redeployed and regular power supply restored within 24 hours.
