Some residents in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, have condemned the use of military personnel by the Aba Power Limited, a subsidiary of Geometric Power, for revenue drive.
It was gathered that the protesting customers were under the Aba-Owerri road 33KVA feeder, which transmitted power to about 13 transformers, along the Watchtower Road axis of Aba.
Ojukwu Imo, the chairman in charge of Watchtower Road transformer electricity consumers, said that it was a huge shock to them to see soldiers coming with the staff of the APL, and even shooting, while trying to collect electricity money.
He said, “Many people closed their shops and ran for their lives, because of the activities of the APL and their military men. We started wondering if there was war here.
“They even kept threatening business people here that they’ll come back to arrest them for refusing to pay the excessive estimated billing they’re giving to us on monthly basis.
“As if that was not enough, they came again with members of the Rapid Response Squad and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps for the same purpose, harassing us all in the name of trying to get electricity money in this same watchtower zone.
“We’re asking APL whether they want us to run away from this zone because of them. We beg the Federal government, Abia State government, and all relevant authorities to please stop APL from what they’re doing to us.
“We’re law-abiding people. We don’t want to fight and we’re saying that coming with armed men to intimidate us here may lead to a breakdown of law and order.
“If APL can follow the normal NERC (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission) regulations in billing us, we’ll pay, but they cannot just wake up one morning and begin to force people to pay any amount.
“We’ve been educated on our rights according to NERC regulations and it is obvious they’re not giving us power according to the bills they’re issuing to us.
“If they give us power according to the hours stipulated in the bill, we’ll pay but if they think we’re just some ignorant citizens, who don’t know what to do with their money, those years are gone. We’re more enlightened today and nobody can cheat us anymore. Let them serve us well and we’ll pay without delay.”
Mr Nnamdi Ajama, a resident of Okereke Street, Aba lamented that the use of military men by APL in the collection of electricity money in his area was causing serious panic amongst residents.
