OBOSI COMMUNITY ORDERS EEDC WORKERS TO LEAVE TOWN over N 809.4 million debt

www.odogwublog.com reports that the faceoff between the management of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and Obosi Community in Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State over N 809.4 million debt owed by the community took another twist as the later demanded the immediate mass transfer of the EEDC contract staff and marketers working at the inland town’s EEDC office accusing them of corruption and sabotaging power supply in the area.
    Speaking from his office at the Obosi Development Union(ODU), Town Hall, Obosi, the President General of ODU, Deacon Ike Mmadubosa revealed that an agreement was reached between Obosi community and the management of EEDC saying that 10 percent of the debt shall be paid within the next six months while  the another round of reconciliation of those accounts/ bills between EEDC and Obosi community will be carried out within the next six months, upon the final reconciliation, a payment plan will be negotiated between both parties considering the new capturing of all the houses which has not been receiving electricity bills .
However, Deacon Mmadubosa accused the EEDC marketers of defrauding unsuspecting residents whose houses has not been captured of their money in the name of disconnection fee, making them believe that they were paying EEDC bills while they were enriching themselves, saying that the entire community has agreed that the entire EEDC staff in the town be transferred compulsorily excepting the feeder manager.
    “We the Obosi indigenes gave EEDC formerly known as National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA) the land where they built the Transmission plant. We were having cordial relationship with them and was enjoying NICCUS Electricity line direct from Awada until April 12, 2007 when EEDC management disconnected Obosi community completely from power supply claiming that the entire community collectively owe them an outrageous sum of about N809,400,000”, said Mmadubosa.
    Meanwhile, after several consultations, it was discovered that the houses in Obosi was last captured by the Power authorities in the 1990’s. Since then, over 1000 houses built are yet to be captured and thereby have no accounts with EEDC. We have a problem with EEDC officials. They go to uncaptured houses collect money from the ranges of N2000 to N4000 monthly which go into their private pockets. Could you imagine that some of these marketers which are not even senior staff have two to three cars and are building houses at Awada while the villagers think they are paying electricity bills to EEDC” he said.
    “Now when the bills come out, the energy used by the community is distributed only to the captured houses, thereby making them receive outrageous bills ranging from N12, 000 to N20,000 per month. You can imagine a two room apartment receiving such a bill. The person may pay in N5000 and over time the accumulation has come to this amount. But with the reconciliation and recapturing going on there will be even distribution of the estimated billings since EEDC has refused to distribute pre paid metres.
    In a related development, after the resolution at the Igwe’s palace, Deacon Mmadubosa said that about four transformers were Vandalized, the same night the miscreants carting away with the armored cables. The community members alleged that the act may have been perpetrated by the contract EEDC workers that were told to leave town just to hold Obosi community to ransom.
    Deacon Mmadubosa said that the parley was made possible through the concerted efforts of well meaning Obosi dignitaries like Chief Osita Chidoka former Aviation Minister, Chief Dave Mbanefo former director of NNPC, Chief Hyman Udemba, Chief Osakwe the Iyasele Obosi and Igwe Dubem Iweka and His cabinet members among many others.