Apapa Road residents protest non-provision of prepaid meters, estimated bills

Some residents of Apapa Road West in Lagos, on Wednesday staged peaceful protest at the Head Office of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Marina, over non-provision of prepaid meters and outrageous estimated bills.

Some of them told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the management of EKEDC should give them pre-paid meters instead of estimated billing system- analogue.

Mr Dokubo Ndeomia, who led the protesters, alleged that EKEDC officials had cut off their electricity cables and put the whole area in darkness.

Ndeomia said that the EKEDC officials were serving them outrageous bills which they still paid in spite of irregularity in power supply.

“We have been on this issue since 2012; we went to the Ijora Office of EKEDC where they directed us to Marina to meet their director.

“What we need is prepaid meters and adjustment of our bills,” Ndeomia said.

Also, Mrs Lanre Duzi, urged EKEDC to supply the area with pre-paid meters and stop the outrageous bills.

“They are making life uncomfortable for us.

“The cut electricity supply to our areas and put us in darkness and they did not consult any of our community leaders.

“I am living in a room and parlor apartment and they are billing me N22, 000 monthly without electricity; this is outrageous,’’ Duzi said.

In his remarks, Mr Michael Omeje, another resident, said that the area was residential not commercial area and EKEDC brought a bill of N60, 000 in December.

A fashion designer, Mr Tunji Savage, said he had been finding it difficult to meet the taste of his customers due to erratic power supply to the area.

“We have not been having electricity and they are still giving us ridiculous bills; we are just paying for what we do not consume since 2012.

“The EKEDC is given us analogue billing which increase our bills on monthly basis without electricity supply,’’ Savage said.

In his reactions, the EKEDC General Manager, Corporate Communication, Mr Godwin Idemudia, told NAN that the protesters’ grievances would be resolved by the management.

“Some residents of Apapa Road West came to protest in our office today; they are demanding for more transformers and prepaid meters.

“From my records, the transformer serving the area is not over-loaded,so there is no need for additional transformer.

“Invariably, they said they want pre-paid meters, we are going to give them form individually.

“We have collected details of their leaders for follow up,” Idemudia said.