Power company uses soldiers, police to collect revenue, residents kick

Residents and business owners in Aba, on Monday condemned the use of military personnel, by Aba Power Limited (APL), a subsidiary of Geometric Power to collect revenue.

The Network gathered that the protesting customers are under the Aba-Owerri road 33KV Feeder that has about 13 transformers.

Mr Ojukwu Joshua Imo, chairman in charge of Watchtower Road transformer electricity consumers said that it was a huge shock to them to see soldiers coming with the staff of the APL and even shooting in the name of trying to collect electricity money.

“Many people closed their shops and houses and  ran for their lives, because of the activities of the APL and their military men. We started wondering if there was war here.

“They even threatened business people here that they’ll come back to arrest them for refusing to pay the excessive estimated billing they’re giving to us on monthly basis.

“As if that was not enough, they came again with members of the Rapid Response Squad and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps for the same purpose and started harassing us all in the name of trying to get electricity money.

“We’re asking APL whether they want us to run away from this zone because of them. We beg the Federal Government, Abia State Government and all relevant authorities to please stop APL from what they’re doing to us.

We’re law-abiding people. We don’t want to fight and we’re saying that coming with armed men to intimidate us here may lead to a breakdown of law and order.

“If they give us power according to the hours stipulated in the bill, we’ll pay but if they think we’re just some ignorant citizens, who don’t know what to do with their money, those years are gone. We’re more enlightened today and nobody can cheat us anymore. Let them serve us well and we’ll pay without delay.”

Mr Nnamdi Ajama, a resident of Okereke Street, Aba, lamented that the use of military men by APL in the collection of electricity money in his area is causing serious panic among residents.

Responding to their allegation , Chief Ike Opigwe. Executive Secretary, of the Joint Action Group (JAG) condemned the use of military and armed men in revenue collection and urged the electricity consumers to always stand on their rights and not be intimidated.

Opigwe stressed that the estimate billing the APL is giving to the customers under the Aba 33KV Feeder is not in consonance with NERC regulations.

He said, “We learnt that there were gunshots, what if someone was killed, will they still collect the bills? No, we must exhaust the resolution process of NERC.”