After the publication of my story in the Blueprint newspaper of November 23, 2020, with a title: Help, Abuja Electricity DISCO is extorting us! Bode Fadipe, GM, Corporate Communications, AEDC, sent a message on my Facebook Page (Awunah Pius Terwase), seeking for my attention to get more information about my complaint against the AEDC as captured in my article.
In my published article, I complained that the electricity units of N5,100 last only for three days even when the use of things that consume electricity is less. And in the situation where one uses the same N5,100 to buy units, where he or she watches only television, charges his phones and does very little things with electricity after the recharge of the meter, the durability takes not more than two to three weeks. Thereafter, I wondered how poor people can cope with the use of power when many people could not even eat twice in a day. In some cases, the one-time meal is still not worthy to be considered as a meal since it lacks the needed balanced diet.
Therefore, how can such people afford to use electricity in their homes, or is the system not designed for the poor? However, an AEDC representative was sent to come to where I work to check our meter. I told the GM it is a general problem that is being experienced by all Nigerians and not only one individual should be attended to on the issue.
The next day, someone called from AEDC to inform me that he is on his way to my place of work to check our meter. I waited for more than two hours without seeing anyone. I called to find out if he was actually coming as he said and he told me sorry, that something came up and he went somewhere else. What should I call that, lack of home training or lack of office training?
After two weeks of not seeing AEDC come to my work place to check our meter as it was promised, I sent the following message: It is unfortunate you people are only interested in 419ning Nigerians rather than providing to them the needed services. As a journalist, I will be relentless in exposing the satanic activities of the so-called AEDC and other electricity distribution companies in the country. What goes around, comes around. You shortchange people and you will be equally shortchanged
After reading the above message, another person was sent to come over and this time around, he came, checked our meter and said its consumption of electricity units is normal! So, AEDC has now normalised its exploitative activities and wants us to applaud them by doing so.
If the over N5,000 electricity units cannot last for more than three days but it is still normal, then I would like to ask: Is the AEDC normal? Nigerians should not sit-down and watch this get out of hand.
Awunah Pius Terwase,
Mpape, Abuja.
09052385238
