Protest erupts in Umuahia over high electricity bills

By Steve Oko

Umuahia — Residents of Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over what they described as an “unjustifiable increase” in electricity bills issued by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

The protesters, who converged from different parts of the city, marched to the EEDC office on Bende Road and later to the entrance gate of the Government House, Umuahia, to seek the state government’s intervention.

Some of the demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as “₦50,000 electricity bill per month is too much,” “Electricity bill now higher than rent,” “Governor Otti should intervene,” and “Give us prepaid meters, not estimated bills.”

They complained that electricity charges for some residential flats reportedly rose from about ₦7,000 to as high as ₦50,000–₦80,000 per month between August and September 2025.

One of the protesters, a civil servant who preferred anonymity, said: “If I spend ₦50,000 from my ₦75,000 monthly salary on electricity alone, how can I cope for the rest of the month?”

Another resident, Mr. Chukwuemeka Odigbo from Umuahia Ward 2, described the increase as a burden, saying, “The last bill we got was about ₦10,000, but now it has jumped to ₦60,000. It’s difficult for us to understand.”

A prepaid customer, Mr. Nnamdi Okenwa, also noted that his power expenses had risen. “I’m on prepaid, and I used to spend around ₦3,000 monthly. Now, I pay between ₦15,000 and ₦17,000 even though my power usage has not changed,” he said.

In a petition submitted through their lawyer, Mr. Kekechi Uwaezuoke of Chimdiebube Chambers, the protesters urged the company to review the recent billing and revert to previous rates, arguing that most of the affected customers are low-income earners and civil servants.

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

He said, “The feeder was upgraded to Band A on September 1, 2025, after meeting the requirements set by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). EEDC followed due process and obtained NERC’s approval before implementing the new tariff.”

Iwuala advised customers to apply for prepaid meters through the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) or the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme to ensure accurate billing. He also assured that complaints would be 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 conduct and assured them that the government would engage with EEDC and NERC to ensure fairness in electricity billing.

Governor Otti, through the commissioner, said: “People should only pay for what they consume. We will take up this matter with all relevant stakeholders to protect residents from undue hardship.”

He added that the state government was working towards establishing its own electricity regulatory authority to strengthen local oversight of power distribution.

Residents were urged to submit written complaints with supporting documents to the Ministry of Power and Public Utilities to enable prompt government action.

The post Protest erupts in Umuahia over high electricity bills appeared first on Vanguard News.