Ejiofor Alike
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has reported the arrest of two suspects, who vandalised the company’s Ekenna Distribution Substation in Ariaria, Abia State.
According to a statement by the company’s Head of Communications, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, the duo, identified as Obinna Iwu and Ogbonna Ifegbu, who were arrested in possession of the vandalised armoured cables, have been handed over to the police for prosecution.
The statement added that the attack on the Ekenna Distribution Substation is coming few days after the Civil Defence Distribution Substation in Umuahia, Abia State was vandalised by one John Udokachi.
Udokachi, who was allegedly caught while burning off the insulator on the vandalised armoured cable, was also handed over to the Police for further prosecution.
“We are not relenting in our commitment towards tackling this growing trend. We continue to appeal to well meaning and law abiding customers to report any incident and also partner with EEDC in safeguarding installations within their neighborhood, as customers are the worst hit once these installations are vandalised,” the statement added.
The company also commended the efforts and support of vigilante groups and security agencies such as the Civil Defence Corps, the army and the Nigerian Police towards ensuring that this ugly menace is addressed and perpetrators brought to book.
EEDC had recently received hard knocks by the acting Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Anthony Akah, for what he described as the worrisome safety records and high rate of accidents in the company’s network, which recorded 14 deaths and five injuries in 2016 alone.
The NERC boss had also berated EEDC for alleged violation of its performance agreements – flagrant disregard of Commission’s directives on mass disconnection of communities as well as high incidences of high estimated billing resulting from inadequate electricity metering of its customers.
It also indicted EEDC for failure to submit inventory data for 2016 to the commission and slammed N13 million fine on the company.
“It is on record that within the period of January to September, 2016, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company recorded over 2,466 unresolved electricity complaints from electricity customers who were dissatisfied with services rendered,” Akah added.
To ensure that electricity customers within EEDC’s network would have a fast track resolution of their electricity complaints, NERC had opened the Owerri Electricity Customer Complaints Forum Office to handle unresolved complaints from the customers care unit of the company.
“This Forum Office is no respecter of class, rights are equal’’ Akah said. He called on electricity customers across the country to desist from taking electricity complaints to court; advising those with electricity issues to approach the Forum when dissatisfied with a Disco’s action,” Akah said.
