EEDC Error: Right Group Demands Immediate Restoration of Electricity To Bigard Seminary School

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A human rights group, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), has urged the Enugu state government to prevail on the management of Enugu Electricity  Distribution Company (EEDC) to as a matter of urgency restore electricity supply back to the Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu.

The organization claimed EEDC unlawfully disconnected the electricity and thus threatened legal action should the energy firm fail to carry out the restoration.

Aside from restoring the electricity supply to the Roman Catholic institution, the organization equally demanded that EEDC should immediately tender an unreserved public apology to the Seminary, “failure of which we shall approach a court  to challenge this infamous and dastardly act.

President of CRRAN, Barrister Olu Omotayo, in a statement made available to newsmen Saturday in Enugu, condemned the action of the Electricity Company which admitted that it made a mistake in the meter reading of the school.

The human rights organization, expressed displeasure that despite the existing Enugu state Electricity law 2023, aimed at improving access of the citizens to electricity supply and protect their rights, as regards to arbitrariness of the DISCO, the company has continued to deal with the residents through exorbitant fees via estimated billing policy.

“The expectation of the citizens of Enugu State that with the enactment of the “Enugu State Electricity Law 2023” access to regular electricity supply and consumer rights protection will improve, has continue to be a mirage with the arbitrary operations and over billing of consumers based on estimated billings by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company”

It noted that “the recent unlawful disconnection of electricity supply to Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, on Friday the 25th April 2025, brings to the fore the hardship suffered daily by consumers in the state due to the draconian estimated billing system of the electricity supply company” 

“Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, is a Roman Catholic Seminary where prospective priests are trained and has been in existence for the past 100 years” 

According to Omotayo, “the Seminary with its over 400 inhabitants, which includes students, priests and lecturers, was thrown into darkness based on an outrageous estimated bill of over 300% increase from its previous payments.  

“A letter sighted by us which was written by EEDC to the Bigard Memorial Seminary stated in one of the paragraphs thus: “Our records show that there was an error in the meter reading for the previous months which has resulted in an accumulated bill for the current month.”

“We ask if there was an error by EEDC in meter reading of previous months, is it proper for the company who admitted the error to now proceed to disconnect the consumer who has paid all its’ electricity bills and is not owning?

“On our visit to the Seminary the students and the residents said they were surprised with the act of lawlessness, while the Legal Adviser to the Seminary Bar Mrs. P.C. Egbuna only stated that the Seminary will take appropriate legal steps on the matter”

 “We further submit that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), cannot be operating without regard and compliance with provisions of the “Enugu State Electricity Law 2023” with impunity and disdain.

“It should be noted that the act of the electricity company in punishing innocent Nigerians with estimated billings is not only unlawful but is barbaric and criminal and should not be tolerated in any decent society.

“We therefore urge the State government to prevail on the company to restore electricity supply to the Seminary immediately and tender a public apology to the Seminary, failure of which we shall approach a court of competent jurisdiction to challenge this infamous and dastardly act.

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