Residents Protest Electricity Tariff Hike In Umuahia, Government Promises Intervention

Residents of Umuahia, Abia State, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over the recent increase in electricity tariffs by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).

The protesters, numbering in their hundreds, marched from different parts of the city to the EEDC office and later to the Abia State Government House, demanding urgent intervention from the government.

Speaking during the protest, a resident identified as Emeka lamented the hardship caused by the new billing system.

“We were paying N5,000 before, then it was increased to N15,000. We managed because light became steady. But now, the bill is between N50,000 and N80,000. How are we supposed to pay this when the minimum wage in Nigeria is N70,000?” he said.

Another protester, Mrs. Nkechi, appealed to the government to intervene.

“We can’t afford this. Dr. Alex Otti is a good governor and we believe he will not ignore us. That’s why we came here peacefully,” she said.

Responding to the outcry, Festus Iwuala, Head of Commercial at EEDC Abia, explained that the increase followed the upgrade of the feeder supplying the affected areas to Band A, which attracts higher rates as approved by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

“The feeder, which was previously billed under Band C and B, was upgraded to Band A on September 1, 2025, after meeting NERC requirements,” Iwuala said.

He stressed that the EEDC followed due process and obtained approval from the regulatory body before implementing the new tariff.

Iwuala added that the company has made provisions for customers to access prepaid meters through the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) and the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme.

“Customers should take advantage of these programmes to avoid estimated bills and ensure accurate metering,” he advised.

He clarified that the EEDC has not applied the cap unit to any customer’s bill and promised that any billing errors reported by customers would be reconciled.

Iwuala also reminded residents that the company operates under federal regulation and does not independently control tariff changes.

Following the protest, the Abia State Government stepped in through the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, who addressed the protesters at the Government House.

The Commissioner commended the residents for maintaining peace during the demonstration and assured them that their grievances would be treated with urgency.

He acknowledged the improvement in electricity supply across the state but emphasized that fair billing and metering must accompany the progress.

“What our people want is fairness. They want to pay only for what they use,” he said.

Engr. Monday revealed that the state government is working toward taking full charge of the electricity market in Abia and setting up a state regulatory authority to ensure fairness and local accountability.

“We will take full charge of this electricity market in Abia and make it work for our people,” he stated.

The Commissioner urged the protesters to submit their complaints in writing, along with supporting documents, to enable formal action.

“Come with facts and put everything together. Once we have that, we will call EEDC to the table for resolution,” he said.

He also confirmed that the state government has already deployed over 60,000 prepaid meters across Abia and is working toward ensuring that every customer is metered to monitor and manage their energy consumption effectively.

The protest ended peacefully as residents dispersed after assurances from government officials that their complaints would be addressed.