By Mary Izuaka

 

Residents of Katampe 2, Mpape, Abuja, on Tuesday staged a protest at the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Mpape office over a four-month blackout, despite spending millions to repair their faulty transformer.

Community chairman Okoro Emeka told ThePreview Media during a visit on Tuesday that the area, under the Maitama 2 session, had been without power for four months. He said residents contributed to repairing the faulty transformer themselves because AEDC refused to take responsibility.

“We have a problem. For four month now, we have been in darkness. “We spent our own money, N3.7 million, which needs to be refunded to us because it’s not our duty to repair the transformer,” Mr Okoro told this reporter on Tuesday.

According to him, this is not the first time the community has funded power infrastructure. He said the original transformer was also purchased by residents and repaired by them for N3.5 million when it first broke down.

Repaired transformer not powered

Mr Okoro, represented by Roland Amagada, explained that the repaired transformer was returned to the community two weeks ago and tested by AEDC officials, who confirmed it was functional.

However, he said officials then demanded new components, including a feeder pillar, a thunder arrestor, and copper cables before the transformer could be energised.

“All those things were there before. It was even staff from this Mpape branch that came to remove all the materials,” he alleged. “Now they said they need new ones. They said they will take it up. For the past two weeks, we have been following them up, and nothing has been done,” he said.

Mr Amagada said when residents questioned the disappearance of parts from the transformer, AEDC officials told them it was the community’s “responsibility to guide the transformer, that it’s not their business.”

“That means we should leave our home to go and sleep with the transformer,” he said. “They are not ready to give us light.”

He said AEDC had promised during meetings with them to restore power by last weekend. “Up to date, nothing. We came today again, and they are still telling us stories. That’s why we said no. Today, they will fix our lights.”

Insecurity worsens

Mr Amagada said the prolonged blackout had worsened insecurity in the area.

“We are in darkness and not only in darkness; you know when there is no light, the boys are also hungry. Now they keep disturbing us every night. Most of us come out at night to keep watch, to secure our families and our lives. Some of us have been injured as a result of this. So we want to put an end to it, and that is why we are here demanding to restore the lights today.”

“If they can give us a new transformer, we will appreciate it. We are ready to make use of it. We are paying our bills,” Mr Amagada said.

In his reaction, the Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, Princewill Okorie, described the AEDC’s handling of the Katampe 2 transformer crisis as “fraudulent” and a violation of electricity regulations.

He said AEDC’s conduct breaches the Customer Protection Regulations, Third-Party Investment Policy, and the Electricity Act 2023, noting that the service standards mandate distribution companies (DisCos) to repair fuse-related faults within 12 hours and infrastructure faults within 24 hours.

“The issue of transformers is their equipment. So why will it stay for 3-4 months? More so when the community has paid and bought the transformer, which they shouldn’t buy,” he said.

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“The criminality in it is that the next third-party investment regulation provides that if a third party is investing, there has to be a third-party investment agreement between the people investing and the distribution company,” he said.

“Now the DisCos will keep quiet, and the people will be begging them to come and energise. They will not tell them to sign a document that they have donated it, so that they won’t refund them that money,” he added.

Mr Okorie cautioned that AEDC might impose accumulated bills once the transformer is installed.

“The moment this transformer is installed, they will bring bills and claim outstanding debts.”

AEDC speaks

When reached by ThePreview Media, the AEDC Head, Corporate Communications, Omede Odekina, said they are aware of the issue.

“We are aware of the issue. We are engaging, and the issue will be resolved amicably. “We are committed to listening and resolving customer complaints,” he added.