Residents Give AEDC 7-Day Ultimatum Over Feeder Downgrade

..Demand restoration of Band B, threaten petition, protest over poor power supply in Lafia communities

From Abel Zwanke, Lafia 

Residents of Ombi One, Ombi Two and Shabu communities in Lafia, Nasarawa State, have given the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) a seven-day ultimatum to restore their electricity feeder to Band B, threatening to petition regulatory authorities and stage a peaceful protest if the demand is not met.

The residents, who expressed dissatisfaction on Thursday in a statement signed by Emmanuel Allu, over what they described as persistent poor electricity supply,

alleged that the feeder serving their communities was recently downgraded from Band B to Band D without adequate consultation with consumers.

They said the downgrade had further worsened the electricity situation in the affected communities, despite the financial obligations of residents who continue to pay their electricity bills.

One of the residents, Aluu Emmanuel, accused AEDC of taking consumers for granted, insisting that residents deserved better service.

“AEDC is taking the general masses for granted. You cannot just downgrade our feeder from Band B to B And D without proper consultation with the people who are paying for the service.

Even with the Band D classification, we cannot get a stable electricity supply for eight hours as required under the applicable service standard,” Emmanuel said.

Under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Service-Based Tariff framework, Band D customers are expected to receive a minimum of eight hours of electricity supply daily.

The framework links electricity tariffs to the quality and minimum hours of service expected from Distribution Companies.

A legal practitioner, Emmanuel Gberon, familiar with electricity regulation said the issue goes beyond the question of tariff, stressing that electricity consumers are entitled to the minimum service level attached to their approved classification.