Residents of Irigweland, Miango, in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Tuesday trooped out in large numbers to protest the continuous blackout in their area for the past 11 years.
But the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) disputed the claim, saying that the community was disconnected in 2022 for non-payment of electricity bills.
The Irigwe community members, who addressed newsmen at the NUJ Press Centre in Jos on Tuesday, accused the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) of disconnecting electricity supply to the community since 2015 on account of debt owed by consumers.
Speaking through the spokesman of Concerned Irigwe Youths, Bitrus Adamu Izhi, the residents said that before the intervention of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in December 2016, the registered customer population in Miango was 682.
He said that before the privatisation of the Jos Electricity Company, the outstanding debt was N51,418,095.27 only.
Izhi said that after NERC reconciliation, the post-privatisation debt as of June 2017 was N38,000,000.00. Thus, N51.418 million was reduced to N38 million only by JEDC and was to be migrated and shared among metered individual customers in Miango community as directed by NERC.
The community said that of the N38 million, the consumers had remitted N28 million and were left with a balance of N10 million.
Izhi said, “Further effort to settle this debt saw the District Head of Miango, His Highness Mr. Daniel Chega, constituting a committee with a mandate to galvanize the people towards avenues through which the money could be paid.
“However, as soon as it commenced function, the committee went outside its mandate and chose to establish and register a company with the name Miango Community Energy Project Enterprise with one Mr Williams Chatalas as chairman.
“Other members of the board are: Mr John Willy Iche, Secretary Mr Haruna Jibo, Financial Secretary Pastor Emmanuel Benedict Zamfara, Treasurer.
“This company which was birthed without knowledge or consent of the consumers went ahead to effect an arrangement with JEDC as the sole agent to be mopping up its funds from consumers. To achieve this, JEDC then unilaterally without knowledge or consent of the consumers suspended their accounts and registered a single account through which the intermediary company began collecting electricity bills from consumers in Miango.
“Members of the community assumed all funds earlier paid and those raised through donations from concerned illustrious sons of the land were being used to offset the debt.
“Sadly, this was not so, and JEDC then decided to disconnect the entire town. This disconnection has lingered for 11 years and every attempt to seek answers from the committee failed. As at may 2023, the total amount owed JEDC by the Miango Community Energy Project Enterprise is 194,912,366,86 Naira.
“As such, we advise it should find a way of recovering this debt while the Miango consumers will work on offsetting the N10 million they owe as soon as their accounts are restored.
The community said that efforts by the paramount ruler, His Royal Highness, the Braa Nggwe Rigwe Reverend Ronku Aka, could not yield results as the committee failed to give an account of funds it collected on behalf of the people despite several invitations.
They said that, worried by the growing frustration in the land and the committee’s attitude, the paramount ruler used veto to dissolve it.
“But as we speak, the land has remained in darkness, thus making us ask this question: Was the Jos Electricity Distribution Company, JEDC, right to have suspended the accounts of consumers in the manner it did and sublet the collection of its bills to a third party?
“Is this provided for in the Electricity Act or does it run contrary to the norm. Present in this hall today are the primary victims of this 11-year prolonged power outage.
“They include farmers, students, artisans, traders, health workers and families whose livelihoods have been crippled.
The community called on the state government, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, who is a son of the soil, and all other stakeholders in Rigweland to come to their aid.
However, Operating Officer, Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, Engr. Hamisu Wokil Jigawa, disputed the community’s claim of being without power for 11 years. He stated that the community was supplied by NESCO and JEDC until 2022, when they were disconnected due to a massive, accumulated debt of approximately N97–98 million.
He said that the conflict had involved multiple mediators, including the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources. JEDC and the mediators had met most of the community’s demands during these mediation processes.
He said that during the process of negotiation, the Miango community expressed a desire to bypass JEDC and purchase power directly from NESCO.
Jigawa said, “JEDC agreed to this arrangement, provided that NESCO pays a Distribution Use of System (DUOS) fee to JEDC for the use of their transformers and power lines, adding that JEDC also refused to sell or hand over their infrastructure to NESCO or the community, citing that these assets are part of their regulatory asset base.
They maintained that they are only willing to lease the use of the equipment under regulatory guidelines.
JEDC alleged that the core of the payment issue lies with a community-based collection group. JEDC claimed this group collected money from residents but failed to remit the full amounts to the company, leading to internal accusations of embezzlement within the Miango community.
The post Plateau: Miango community protests 11-year blackout appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
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