Students of Aladinma and Okwu-Uratta alliances in IMSU off-campus hostels yesterday staged a protest over the ‘forceful' sudden power cut by the EEDC led by the Network Manager.
An eye witness who doesn’t want his name in prints revealed that the EEDC Network Manager Mr. Chris Ezeoha came with naval officers to cut abruptly the power in IMSU Backgate alliances including Bishop's Court on Wednesday.
The EEDC Network Manager Mr. Chris Ezeoha speaking with our correspondent Duru Victor, in reaction to the power cut and said protest, gave the genesis of the issue.
He said, “ I have been here for almost 12 years (I was in charge of the power in army barracks) and when I came I found the business situation not good and not acceptable. It doesn’t augur with best practices. I told them that it was going to change.
“They came for a protest. They were 2000 students and I told them that basically their billing was something else and it must change. It was too low. You’ll find an hostel of 50 or 80 rooms getting a bill of 20 or 30,000. So, it doesn’t make sense.
“The losses we are recording in this students' areas are damn too much and after that explanation I told them that the only way we can manage the energy so that it will be mutual and beneficial to both ends – the service providers and those that use our services – is that we have to meter them. To a great extent B’Court alliance agreed and suddenly changed but Aladinma and Okwu-Uratta alliances did not agree and B’Court rejected the idea.” I kept on pleading and pacifying them to no avail.
“I sent in some meters but they were rejected. Dues were piling for example one hostel owes about 24 to 25 million naira. More than 10 to 15 hostels are tied to that particular meter but they’re not paying. That gives the picture of what is happening.
“You can’t have 90 rooms hostel with other hostels attached getting a bill of 50,000. The losses can’t be quantified and after several attempts to make them no that energy has to be managed and if not measured will be subject to reckless usage".
He added that EEDC seeks to ensure that every hostel is independent as far as power is concerned by having it’s own personal meter.
“We just want to make sure that that place is sanitized, reduce our losses and work more with the students and teach them energy management cost effectively as well as reduce wastage because every energy wasted is paid for but they don’t pay for it. It is not a form of warfare.
“Our business relationship with them needs to be renegotiated to meet best practices worldwide. We’re open, totally standing by waiting for them to come. We’re willing to restore supply to them as quickly as possible however it is important to note that our business relationship must be redefined to meet world best practices”.
The meeting will possibly come in January next year due to the season and period of the year and this invariably connotes that the affected alliances will be without power supply till an agreement is reached.
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