Barely
four years after the nation’s power sector was privatised, Churches
under the Suleja Local Area, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, are
still groaning under the weight of ‘crazy bills’ and poor power supply
from the electricity distribution firms, while Mosques are not meant to
pay any electricity bills.
“They
give us outrageous bills without recourse to the meters. Whether the
meters are functional or not, they don’t want to know. At the end of the
month, they give us estimated bills, based on the information from the
Field Officers, while the Mosques don’t pay a kobo for electricity
bills”, a Pastor confided in Post-Nigeria, on Tuesday morning.
When
Post-Nigeria contacted the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company that
covers the FCT, Niger, Kogi, and Nassarawa, through the GSM numbers,
08150181818, 08150191919, they refused to provide answers as to why
Mosques are not billed every month, while Churches are made to pay
‘crazy bills’.
Speaking with An Assistant AEDC
Assistant Manager, based in Suleja, who pleaded anonymity, he said that
the instruction is from above.
”The Mosques in this city don’t pay
bills. It is an instruction from above. No staff here can challenge
that, except you want to lose your job.
“But it is unfortunate that they are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Churches are made to pay electricity bills through their noses.”
Recall,
that last year, residents of Suleja Community stormed the AEDC office,
located in Kwamba, protesting lack of power supply in their area, and
incessant crazy bills from officials of the energy provider.
The protesters numbering about 100, had carried placards with different inscriptions including: “No light, No bill.”
The
protesters chanted as they marched on the road. They complained about
the lack of electricity in Suleja and its surrounding areas, and
condemned the rise in electricity tariff.
They said it was sheer madness for the AEDC officials to keep bringing bills despite the very poor service.
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