Protest erupts in Umuahia over high electricity bills

By Steve Oko

Umuahia — Residents of Umuahia, the Abia State capital, connected Tuesday staged a peaceful protestation implicit what they described arsenic an “unjustifiable increase” successful energy bills issued by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

The protesters, who converged from antithetic parts of the city, marched to the EEDC bureau connected Bende Road and aboriginal to the entranceway gross of the Government House, Umuahia, to question the authorities government’s intervention.

Some of the demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions specified arsenic “₦50,000 energy measure per period is excessively much,” “Electricity measure present higher than rent,” “Governor Otti should intervene,” and “Give america prepaid meters, not estimated bills.”

They complained that energy charges for immoderate residential flats reportedly roseate from astir ₦7,000 to arsenic precocious arsenic ₦50,000–₦80,000 per period betwixt August and September 2025.

One of the protesters, a civilian servant who preferred anonymity, said: “If I walk ₦50,000 from my ₦75,000 monthly wage connected energy alone, however tin I header for the remainder of the month?”

Another resident, Mr. Chukwuemeka Odigbo from Umuahia Ward 2, described the summation arsenic a burden, saying, “The past measure we got was astir ₦10,000, but present it has jumped to ₦60,000. It’s hard for america to understand.”

A prepaid customer, Mr. Nnamdi Okenwa, besides noted that his powerfulness expenses had risen. “I’m connected prepaid, and I utilized to walk astir ₦3,000 monthly. Now, I wage betwixt ₦15,000 and ₦17,000 adjacent though my powerfulness usage has not changed,” helium said.

In a petition submitted done their lawyer, Mr. Kekechi Uwaezuoke of Chimdiebube Chambers, the protesters urged the institution to reappraisal the caller billing and revert to erstwhile rates, arguing that astir of the affected customers are low-income earners and civilian servants.

Responding to the complaints, the EEDC Head of Commercial for Abia State, Mr. Festus Iwuala, explained that the tariff accommodation followed the reclassification of the energy feeder supplying the affected areas from Bands B and C to Band A.

He said, “The feeder was upgraded to Band A connected September 1, 2025, aft gathering the requirements acceptable by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). EEDC followed owed process and obtained NERC’s support earlier implementing the caller tariff.”

Iwuala advised customers to use for prepaid meters done the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) oregon the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) strategy to guarantee close billing. He besides assured that complaints would beryllium reviewed and reconciled appropriately.

At the Government House, the protesters were received by the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, who represented Governor Alex Otti.

He commended the protesters for their peaceful behaviour and assured them that the authorities would prosecute with EEDC and NERC to guarantee fairness successful energy billing.

Governor Otti, done the commissioner, said: “People should lone wage for what they consume. We volition instrumentality up this substance with each applicable stakeholders to support residents from undue hardship.”

He added that the authorities authorities was moving towards establishing its ain energy regulatory authorization to fortify section oversight of powerfulness distribution.

Residents were urged to taxable written complaints with supporting documents to the Ministry of Power and Public Utilities to alteration punctual authorities action.

The station Protest erupts successful Umuahia implicit precocious energy bills appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.