Residents of Ebute Metta community, Lagos Mainland, has been thrown into total darkness just after they protested estimated and unjustified billing by disco company, Electricity Distribution Company, that services the area.
Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, According to the residents, the blackout in the area which started on Thursday, May 24, 2018, was a deliberate hardship brought on the community by the disco company.
A resident, Andu Usman, who spoke to Eyes Of Lagos said: “The blackout has been witnessed since last Thursday simply because residents protested unjustified bills that were served around.
“I can assure you there is no technical fault that could have been responsible for the blackout. The simple reason was that people protested against the unjustifiable estimated billing. The blackout was deliberately meted out on residents.”
Commenting on the moves by the residents to ensure power was restored to the community, Usman said “we have been to their office and they are fully aware of the blackout. The response from the EKEDC management was that if people are not ready to pay, they should brace up for three months blackout.”
When asked about the genesis of the struggle, he said residents of the community had collated bills from various houses served estimated bills by EKEDC. He noted that the worried residents served estimated bills chose to protest the decision by the disco company leading to the blackout in the area.
Another resident of Ebute Metta who confirmed the blackout to Eyes Of Lagos, however, said the development might not be connected to the recent protest by the residents. “The blackout in the community is true. I last had power on Wednesday night and since then, power is yet to be restored.
“I assume there might be a fault somewhere the power company is working on because I don’t want to believe it was connected to the protest. They can’t throw everyone into darkness because some set of people protested against estimated billing.”
When contacted, an official of EKEDC in Ebute Metta refused to comment on the incident. The official, however, said the management would make public its position when due.
