Saturday, March 14 Mass Protest Over Poor Power Supply in Anambra Not Against Soludo — Activist Osita Obi

By Tony Okafor, Awka

The Convener of the Electricity Consumers Rights Initiative and Electricity Consumers Rights Network, Comrade Osita Obi, has insisted that the planned protest against EEDC and FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company on Saturday is not directed against Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.

Obi also warned that the persistent poor power supply in Anambra State could cripple the governor’s dream of building a smart city if urgent steps are not taken to address the electricity situation in the state.
Speaking with our reporter in Awka on Tuesday, Obi dismissed claims that the planned protest was politically motivated ahead of the governor’s swearing-in ceremony.

He insisted that the rally has nothing to do with politics or the governor.

“We all love the governor. I worked for him and I am still working with him. There is no way we would work against a governor who has brought development to the people,” he said.

Obi explained that the protest is aimed at drawing the governor’s attention to the suffering of electricity consumers in the state, stressing that the governor may not be fully aware of the level of hardship residents are currently facing.

“He may not be fully aware that people are being exploited. We want him to intervene and do something about it,” he said.

The activist noted that electricity remains the backbone of any modern smart city and warned that the present situation could derail the governor’s ambitious vision for Anambra State.

According to him, Ndi Anambra are excited about the smart city project and are willing to support the governor’s vision, but the absence of steady electricity poses a major threat.

“If there is no electricity, it will be difficult to actualize the dream of a smart city. Are people going to buy fuel to power a smart city?” he asked.

The Activist noted that fuel has become very expensive and that electricity remains the most affordable energy source for ordinary citizens.

He added that many residents see electricity as a fundamental service government should ensure for the people.

“Consumers see electricity as a fundamental service government should provide. The poor or non-supply of electricity will definitely affect Governor Soludo’s smart city dream,” he said.

Obi called on the state government to liberalise the energy sector to attract private investors who can support the state’s power supply and help drive the smart city initiative.

According to him, allowing more energy providers to operate in the state would introduce healthy competition and improve electricity supply.

“The government should regulate the sector and should not allow citizens to suffer untold hardship due to the inefficiency of an organisation,” he said.

He blamed the hardship currently experienced by residents on what he described as the monopoly of electricity distribution by EEDC and First Power.

According to him, the absence of competition allows the companies to operate without pressure to improve their services.

Obi pointed to the Aba Power model in Abia State as an example that Anambra could replicate in order to improve electricity supply across the state. He suggested that investors could be encouraged to provide electricity to different clusters in the state.

“The government can engage investors to replicate such a model here. One cluster may serve Awka, another may take Nnewi or Onitsha,” he said.
The activist also lamented that many transformers in Anambra State are obsolete, leading to huge energy losses during transmission. He argued that it was unfair for consumers to bear the cost of such losses.

“Consumers are forced to pay for these losses. Why must consumers pay for the incompetence and operational challenges of First Power or EEDC?” he queried.

Obi also demanded an immediate end to estimated billing, insisting that prepaid meters remain the only fair system for electricity billing. According to him, consumers are ready and willing to pay for electricity, but only for the energy they actually consume.

“We need prepaid meters in our homes, not estimated billing. Consumers are ready to pay for what they actually consume,” he said.

He stressed that while consumers understand that electricity supply challenges are a nationwide problem, they should not be compelled to pay for electricity that was never supplied to them.

“Do not transfer your inefficiency and operational challenges to consumers,” he said.

Obi, however, warned that continued exploitation of electricity consumers could lead to serious unrest in the future if urgent action is not taken to address the problem.

“Time may come when anyone who comes to collect money on behalf of First Power may be attacked,” he cautioned.

He added that some communities could begin to resist attempts by electricity officials to enter their areas to carry out electricity-related activities, a development he said could degenerate into chaos.

According to him, once prepaid meters are widely installed and consumers pay strictly for what they use, the operations of the electricity companies will also become easier.

“We are not against First Power. Once prepaid meters are in place and consumers pay for what they use, their operations will become easier,” he said.

He also dismissed fears that political elements might hijack the protest, insisting that the rally has no political undertone.

“Nobody will hijack the rally. The protest is simply to help First Power become more effective and to let the government understand the pains of electricity consumers in the state,” he said.