Consumers stage protest to demand prepaid meters

ayodele johnson

June 10, 2016 11:32 PM

The representative at the electrical power station where the protest was held, assured them their concerns will be forwarded to the management of the company.

Pre-paid Metre.

Residents of Ogun State associated with the Electricity Consumer Protection Forum, have carried out a protest on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, demanding the supply of prepaid meters to homes in the state.

The protest, which was organised on Thursday, June 9, 2016, was a peaceful demonstration calling on the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, to supply houses with the prepaid meter.

According to Punch, the protesters also took their protest to Sango, threatening to stop paying electrical bills if their request is not attended to.

They carried banners with the inscriptions “No free prepaid meters, no payment”, “No more estimated bills” and “Yes to free prepaid meters for all”.

ALSO READ: Residents protest sexual assault and killing of Ghanaian

Mr. Dayo Komolafe, the leader of the Electricity Consumer Protection Forum, in Ogun state accused the IBEDC of failing to fulfil the promise made to them to supply prepaid meters to all homes.

Komolafe said, “On November 1, 2013, the distribution companies (Discos), including IBEDC, signed a privatisation MoU with the Federal Government, stipulating that within 18 months gestation period, every house would be metered.”

“We are now 13 months after the schedule. Till date, no prepaid meter has been given free to a single house in Ogun State.”

“A house is given a bill of N17,000 to N23,000 in a month for a consumption that is less than 40 units. We can no longer take this.”

“Meanwhile, those who are fortunate to buy the prepaid meter, which is supposed to be free, bought a card of N3,000 and in five months they have not exhausted it.

“If there is no prepaid meter, we are not going to pay anymore.”

Mr. Paul Peter, the Business Manager, IBEDC, in Joju, said the request of the protesters have been noted.

He promised to pass the message to the appropriate authorities.

ayodele johnson