Petition Over Persistent Poor Service Delivery And Other Matters

Enugu Electricity Distribution Coy
Hq
Sir
We have continued to suffer untold economic and material losses in the past two years since your organization took over the electricity distribution to our business location in Awka with the hope that it would improve and get better, to no avail.

Hence, the pressure to file this formal complaint/petition in addition to series of oral representations to your Enugu and Awka offices within this same period.

We are also aware of the remarkable improvement in electricity supply across the country.

But unfortunately, we are not enjoying any of it here in Awka, Anambra state. Yet at the end of each month your company sends us heavy bills including your "fixed rate" charges for services not rendered.

We are therefore constrained at this time to speak out and alert the National Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC), the Federal Ministry of Power, the Consumer Protection Council(CPC), Human Rights organizations, the newly appointed Senate Committee of inquiry on the activities of DISCOs like you, on our prolonged and seeming intractable and insurmountable hardship.

We are aware that power supply is always on the 33000 Kva national grid but your inability to provide us even an hour quality supply in a day for many months now is forcing many of us to close shop thereby throwing our more than One hundred(100) staffers to the bustling unemployment market. It could be imagined the number of job losses across the sector and other services/manufacturing outfits. It would also leave our multi-billion Naira hospitality industry investment in ruins, just like most manufacturers/industries have been thrown out of production all over the state/ zone. And their bank loans forced into bad-debts while their creditors hound them around like criminals.

Curiously, we were reliably informed by members of your staff down the line that your CEO Mr Emeka Offor has refused to pay staff salary regularly even with the Ten billion Naira (N10bn) bailout given to the company few days to the end of the last administration.

That he has also refused to replace obsolete minor equipments like gear-switches at the Nibo substation which we were told was last replaced in 1974. This situation and inaction has made it fashionable among your staff especially your Business Manager at the Awka District office to be asking for as much as N5million gratification and above from individuals, groups, communities and organizations before he could connect them to the so called 'good line' or supply them power for use.

We were also told by your staff that it is a political gimmick/ploy to make the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari look as if he is punishing Ndigbo for not voting for him in the March 28,2015 presidential poll. This is sabotage to the detriment of investors, workers and consumers, especially in Anambra state in particular and the entire South East where the EEDC services, generally.

It's therefore our considered opinion that a very vital national economic development life-transforming and enhancing sector like electricity supply and distribution should not be used for political patronage or left in the hands of persons with no historical track record of success or effective business performance, as is now obvious.

A widespread experience/survey among citizens here shall confirm to any curious mind that there is NEVER any sense of urgency in the operations/attitude of EEDC staff, not-minding that lives are constantly dependent on your services. It is however understandable-because whether one enjoys your light or darkness, you MUST pay without argument.

We therefore request for the immediate revocation of the contract of sale of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company(EEDC) because of high level incompetence, lack of the financial muscle required to run such strategic organization, financial recklessness, lack of capacity and technical know-how and for the sake of justice and fairness-for the teeming hapless incapacitated voiceless consumers in the affected states and areas that have been living in agony of EEDC's irresponsible operational style.

It may be necessary to point out here that we nurse no personal or corporate grudge against no one within or outside your organization, but that we feel strongly about service delivery which we pay for. You owe us a duty, just as we in the hospitality industry owe our teeming customers a duty of decent and caring service.

Do you not consider it very shameful that in the 21st century Nigeria when other nations have started embracing other less cumbersome nature-friendly means of energy source we are daily made to depend heavily on diesel generators, while EEDC supplies comes on ONLY as a mere back-up.

Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Chief (Dr) Sam Okey Nwosu
0808 029 4040
Chairman, SACON GROUP
(Owners of Marble Arch Hotels)
1-5 Marble Arch Drive,
Awka
Cc: Mr Emeka Ofor,
Cc: NERC
Cc: Ministry of Power
Cc: Consumer Protection Council
Cc: Senate Committee of inquiry on the activities of DISCOs

Cc: Business Manager, Awka
Cc: The Presidency.