Some pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) support groups have alleged that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) is a fraud, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the company immediately if he must record any achievement in power sector.
The APC support groups, who staged a rally in support of the President Wednesday in Abuja, stated this in a letter sent to the President in support of his administration.
According to the group, from the letter signed by Dr. Paul Dowells Essen, electricity supply has improved but the cost is so high.
The group complained of the estimated billing system, saying that AEDC bills a 3 bedroom flat N86, 000 for electricity per month.
According to the statement, the group said, “Sir, electricity has truly improved but highly expensive.
“The Distribution Companies especially Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC is a fraud. At Wuye District for example, three bed room flat, residential is billed N86,000 per month with two adults and a baby. If you must achieve in the area of power, Government must take over Distribution Companies from the hands of individuals whose interest is to exploit Nigerians.
But the AEDC General Manager, Oyebode Fadipe has countered the position of the support group.
According to him, the support group was not well conversant with the workings of AEDC.
Reacting to the allegation that AEDC is a fraud, Fadipe said, “Well, the description of AEDC as a fraud is very, very unfortunate.
“We are not a fraudulent organization, we adhere to ethical rules that guide our dealings. If there are errors customers are free to make their complaints both at the local and national offices. To say what we are doing is fraudulent is a misrepresentation of who we are.
“If a customer does not have a meter, the list we can do for that customer is through estimated billing and estimated billing, everybody in the sector has agreed that there are challenges associated with it and that is why NERC has gone ahead to bring about this policy of Meter asset Provider (MAP), which now allows customers to procure the meter and install in their homes so that they can also measure their own consumption and can be energy accountable.
“if N86, 000 is giving to a 3 bedroom flat, we don’t know the kind of equipment that they are using in that 3 bedroom flat. So, it is not enough to just say the size of the house, it is the energy being used. I think it is a misrepresentation, it is unfortunate and l think it is unfair to us.”
