AEDC in Bwari, AbujaResidents of Adefemi, a community in Ushafa, Bwari Area Council, Abuja, on Wednesday embarked on a peaceful protest over the continued blackout the area has been experiencing.
The community with their massive population took to the street after being in blackout for the past four years. They said despite the precarious situation, they are billed monthly by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC.
Speaking with DAILY POST during the protest, Chairman of the community, Vincent Onogue, expressed displeasure over the continuous blackout in the area.
According to Onogue, the community has been battling poor services from those in charge of power since the past five years, adding that respective authorities have refused to address the situation despite their complaints.
Onogue said over the past five years, the community has been the one providing everything about light.
He said, “We are tied of the attitude of power officials towards us. Everything about light here in Ushafa was done by us. We bought the poles, conductor wires, armored cables and we even gave them land and money for their services, but instead of providing efficient services, they have left us in total blackout.
“They bill us heavily and we pay without using their light. Two weeks ago we got tired and we informed them to bring a good transformer for us if we are to continue paying their bills, else they should just shut down the faulty transformer because they will come whether we use the light or not. What obnoxious law is that?” He asked rhetorically.
Onogue called on the authorities to provide the community with transformer, light, meter and corporate poles that have been lacking for years.
On whether they have complained to relevant authorities about their plight before taking to the street, Onogue said, “We have written to the Chairman of the Council, and to AEDC and after so much battling they now gave us this transformer that is already packed up.”
The irate protesters marched from Ushafa to the office of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, in Bwari Area Council in a bid to register their grievances.
At the Bwari AEDC office, the District Business Manager, Engineer Okoye who initial refused to address the protesters, later came out. He had earlier asked them to channel their grievances to the headquarters of the company
Addressing the protesters, Okoye appealed to them to be calm, adding that effort will be made to restore power to the community soon.
“I have spoken with the Chairman of the community and some selected members of the community and we have agreed to meet on Tuesday next week when the issue will be finally resolved,” Okoye said.
The protest however attracted the presence of security operatives including the police and the NSCDC. The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in the area, CSP, Danladi Usman was at the scene of the protest urged the irate protesters to conduct themselves in a lawful manner as the AEDCdistrict Manager has agreed to meet with some of them on Tuesday next week to resolve the matter.
Ushafa community is dominated by Abuja indegenes and renowned for its popular pottery centre. Ushafa is the only satellite town former US president, Bill Clinton visited in his first visit to Nigeria
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