FESTAC residents give EKEDC 48-hour ultimatum over prolonged blackout, estimated billing

…Stage protest to EKEDC head office

By Evelyn Usman

Residents of FESTAC Town, under the aegis of Take Back FESTAC, on Tuesday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) to restore electricity to the community or face mass action, following what they described as over eight months of darkness, crippling estimated billing, and the collapse of economic activities in the estate.

The protesters, who marched to EKEDC’s headquarters in Marina, Lagos, said repeated engagements with the electricity distribution company had yielded no meaningful results despite assurances that power supply would improve after the completion of a transmission project.

Addressing journalists during the protest, President and Convener of Take Back FESTAC and General Secretary of Take Back Nigeria, Comrade Valentine Uduebor, said the demonstration was borne out of the frustration of residents who had endured prolonged hardship.

He said: “This protest is not about me; it is about the frustration of my people. We have suffered enough. We have come all the way from FESTAC because our people can no longer continue to live in darkness.

“I installed solar years ago, which powers my pumping machine and my air conditioner. I bought a prepaid electricity token worth ₦40,000 over a year ago, and I have not bought another one since because there has practically been no electricity to consume.

“So, I ask myself, how does EKEDC pay salaries? How do they run their offices? How do businesses survive if people are not consuming electricity? It means there is total paralysis.

“We are appealing to Mr. President. We believe he is doing everything within his power to make funds available to improve electricity supply, but bureaucracy and square pegs in round holes are jeopardizing everything,” he stated.

He disclosed that residents had earlier accepted EKEDC’s request for patience after officials promised that electricity would improve within five months.

“They told us to give them five months. We agreed because we believed them. Those five months have come and gone, yet our people remain in darkness. That is why we are here today.

“We have held our youths and children down for long enough. We have met with them and made our position clear.

“Forty-eight hours from today, if EKEDC does not restore electricity to FESTAC, members, stakeholders, and residents will not be held responsible for whatever communal inconvenience may follow.

“People have lived in darkness for over eight months. There is frustration everywhere. There is depression everywhere. We even lost a young man. Small businesses like barber shops, salons, and other artisans can no longer operate because there is no electricity, yet people are still being billed.”

Vice President of the group, Chief James Ibeka, explained that the decision by residents to leave FESTAC and protest at the EKEDC headquarters reflected the severity of the electricity crisis.

“For us to leave FESTAC and come all the way to the EKEDC office in Marina is a clear signal that everything about power in FESTAC has collapsed, 100 percent.

“Sometimes we go for three good months without having up to two hours of electricity cumulatively. The situation has raised the cost of living. Healthcare, food preservation, businesses, and every aspect of life have been affected.

“People now buy fuel at about ₦1,300 per litre to run generators in their homes, hospitals, shops, and markets. Some families spend at least ₦10,000 every day just to keep generators running.

“We are no longer children. Some of us are over 60 years old, and the people we represent are suffering. Our children and grandchildren can hardly sleep at night because there is no electricity,” he lamented.

On his part, the group’s Public Relations Officer, Nathaniel Ussi, lamented that while some consumers had prepaid meters, many others remained on estimated billing, urging EKEDC to accelerate the distribution of prepaid meters so residents could pay only for electricity consumed.

“Most businesses have closed because there is no electricity. People now depend on generators, but fuel is very expensive. Even hospitals are finding it difficult to care for patients because there is no stable power supply. All we are asking for is constant electricity. Let there be electricity in FESTAC. It is a beautiful estate built in 1977, and we want it to regain its lost glory.”

A medical practitioner, Dr. Dumebi Owa, lamented that the prolonged blackout had become a major threat to healthcare delivery and economic activities in the estate.

She said : “It is heartbreaking. Government wants to improve Nigeria’s economy, but organizations like EKEDC are frustrating businesses. Government cannot employ everybody. People want to create jobs, but there is no electricity.

“Even someone selling sachet water needs electricity. In hospitals, patients on life support depend on electricity. Imagine carrying out surgery and the power suddenly goes off. It is dangerous and unacceptable.

“They appear more interested in estimated billing because it generates more money for them. We are paying for electricity we never consumed. It is sad that in the 21st century we are still struggling over electricity,” she said.

One of the protesters, who identified himself simply as Michael and who lives on 41 Road in FESTAC, alleged that consumers without prepaid meters were being subjected to arbitrary billing despite receiving little or no electricity.

He said: “To be truthful, they don’t give us light. If they do, it is for about one hour or 30 minutes. The painful thing is that we are not on prepaid meters.

“I pay about ₦15,000 every month. If I don’t clear it, another ₦15,000 accumulates. Whether there is electricity or not, the bills keep increasing.

“My appeal is simple. Give us prepaid meters. If we have prepaid meters, we will pay for what we consume, and many of these complaints will disappear.”

About five of the protesters were later invited into one of the offices to meet with the management of EKEDC without journalists.

However, efforts to obtain EKEDC’s reaction were unsuccessful, as officials of the company did not speak with journalists at the end of the protest.