In spite of the Federal Government’s warning, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) on Thursday confirmed it disconnected the Sabon Gari Community, Mararaba near Abuja from the national grid.
While hinging its action on debts owned by individual customers, Ahmed Shekarau, the AEDC’s spokesman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the step was also taken for safety reasons.
The disconnection, which lasted for 10 days, started on Jan. 31.
The AEDC’s action ran contrary to the Federal Government’s directive that distribution companies (DISCOs) should not disconnect estates, communities, and local governments over debts owed by individual customers.
“Our Area Office in Mararaba carried out the disconnection, but the affected customers have since been reconnected.
“It was largely due to the safety of our staff, the affected customers and the equipment in the neighbourhood,’’ Shekarau said.
He cited what he described as “an extreme case’’ of a pregnant staff whose life was threatened by customers resisting disconnection.
NAN recalls that on May 31, 2016, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) warned DISCOs against blanket disconnection of communities, villages, local government areas and estates.
In a public announcement, the commission urged the DISCOs to be guided by its Connection and Disconnection Procedures for Electricity Services 2007 regulation.
Specifically, sections 5-6 of the regulation contain guidelines for the disconnection of only indebted customers and not an entire community.
“Electricity customers, who pay their bills, should not be disconnected via a mass disconnection of their community, block of flats, estate, and so on.
“Any mass disconnection carried out by the DISCOs, in contravention of the provisions of the above regulation, is illegal and should be reported to the commission,” the commission stated.
