The group in letter addressed to the market operator, Dr E. A. Eje, which was made available to our correspondent on Friday, accused the TCN of non-compliance with the provisions of market rules of the electricity operation.
The letter which was signed by the chairman, Board of Trustees, ALPADA, Leo Okoye; President, Alphonsus Udeigbo, and three others, stated that if the TCN failed to lift the order, electricity consumers Aba would embark on a peaceful protest against the company.
Udeigbo in his lamentation claimed that households and businesses owners in Aba have lost over N30 billion since the city was thrown into darkness.
He also claimed that many individuals had lost their lives as a result power failure in hospitals in the city, pointing out that the action of the TCN came without a human face.
The statement reads in part, “It has come to our notice that your company disconnected power supplies to Aba and its environs by the Electricity Company Limited (APL) Electrical via a disconnection order MO-DO/TCN/002/2023, on alleged grounds of non-compliance with the provisions of the market rules.
“While it is not within our domain to question the reason for the disconnection order, however, it is our firm belief that the said disconnection order was in total breach of the market rules.
“First, a suspension notice dated April 19, 2023 was issued the APL Electrical requiring the company to remedy a default with 30 business days from the date of the suspension notice in line with sub rules 46.3.3 and 4 of the electricity industry market rules 2010.
“But curiously on the same date of the suspension notice, the market operator wrote the executive director, TCN, notifying the said executive director that market operator hereby issues a disconnection Order for APL Electric for non compliance without copying or addressing the said disconnect the entire Aba and its environs from power supply.
“In the circumstances, we the Aba Landlord Protection and Development Association on behalf of electricity consumers within Aba and its environs hereby demand that you lift the said disconnection order MO-DO/TCN/002/2023, within 24 hours from the date of receipt of these demand letters having failed to comply by the market rules as well as the content of your suspension notice.
“Take note that in the event of your refusal to lift the order within the stipulated period as Electricity consumers who are now being made to suffer the consequences of your action by throwing us into darkness over one week now, we shall have no option than to embark on a peaceful protest to your office at Alaoji Aba and also inform the world through the media”.
