Anambra Electricity Protest: FirstPower MD Weeps, Apologises, Says Food in His Freezer Spoiled, Wife ‘On My Neck’

By Tony Okafor, Awka

The Managing Director of FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company, Dr Okechukwu Okafor, on Wednesday apologised to electricity consumers in Anambra State over the worsening power supply, admitting that the company had not performed satisfactorily.

Okafor made the apology during a stakeholders’ meeting convened at the office of the Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Engr Julius Mmekikam Chukwuemeka, in Awka.

The meeting brought together officials of government, electricity distributors, regulators and consumer representatives to deliberate on the planned March 14 protest by the Electricity Consumers Network led by Anambra-based activist, Comrade Osita Obi, over alleged epileptic power supply, extortion, estimated billing and other complaints against FirstPower and the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

Addressing the gathering, the FirstPower boss admitted that electricity consumers had genuine reasons to be dissatisfied with the current situation.

“Truly, we are not doing well. The consumers are correct; they are right,” Okafor said.

He also praised Comrade Osita Obi for his consistent advocacy on behalf of electricity consumers in the state.

“In fact, I must commend Comrade Osita Obi. He has done everything to ensure that we succeed. He means well for the state and for FirstPower. Many times he has reported illegal connections to me, and on several occasions he has approached me over electricity matters affecting the downtrodden, many of which were resolved amicably. He is a good man and he is fighting for society,” Okafor said.

The managing director, however, lamented that the challenges facing the power sector had also affected him personally, recounting how the power outage recently disrupted activities in his own household.

“The truth is that there is a serious problem in our hands, but we must remain hopeful,” he said.

“My wife called me yesterday and complained that everything in the house had failed. My children could not go to school and everything in the freezer had spoiled because there was no electricity. She wanted me to give an order so that power could be restored.”

Okafor said that even after contacting the district officer responsible for his area, electricity was only restored for about 20 minutes.

“It is frustrating that my customers cannot be satisfied. When my wife called and complained, I wept,” he added.

He explained that the electricity challenge was not limited to Anambra State, noting that the South-East currently receives about 11 per cent of the total national power supply.

According to him, efforts are underway to improve the situation, including engaging third parties in electricity generation within the state.

“When we relieve the national grid, the people will smile,” he said, appealing to consumers for patience as measures are being put in place to stabilise supply.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission, Prof Frank Nwoye Okafor, said regulators primarily serve as observers and enforcers of agreements within the electricity market.

He stressed that power supply arrangements across the world are guided by contractual agreements which must be respected by operators.

“For instance, if electricity distributors promise consumers seven hours of supply, they must abide by that agreement or face heavy penalties for reneging,” he said.

Nwoye added that the current state of electricity supply in Anambra was unacceptable.

“Power supply in Anambra State is a joke. We want to keep standards on what should be done. Investors are coming, and FirstPower must gear towards improvement, otherwise they could be out of business,” he warned.

He urged stakeholders to embrace dialogue over the planned protest, noting that relationships within the power sector should be mutually beneficial.

Speaking on behalf of electricity consumers, Comrade Obi said residents were aware of the challenges confronting FirstPower and EEDC but insisted that improvements were necessary.

He called for an end to estimated billing, over-billing and what he described as the indiscriminate application of electricity tariff banding despite poor service.

Obi also highlighted the use of obsolete equipment such as faulty transformers, the alleged hoarding of prepaid meters and exploitation of consumers as some of the major issues affecting electricity users in the state.

He maintained that the planned protest was intended to draw attention to the plight of consumers.

“I want the governor to hear it. I want Abuja to hear it,” he said, insisting that the protest scheduled for March 14 would go ahead as planned.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Chukwuemeka, who convened the meeting, announced the constitution of a four-man committee comprising representatives of the state government, FirstPower, the Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Electricity Consumers Network.

He said the committee had been given 24 hours to produce a blueprint on the way forward.

Chukwuemeka reiterated that the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo was committed to achieving a 24-hour electricity supply in the state and urged stakeholders to exercise patience while dialogue continues.