State Assembly Invites AEDC Over Epileptic Power Supply

By Valentine Joshua

Nasarawa State House of Assembly has summoned the Area Manager of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company to appear and explain the continuous epileptic power supply in Lafia, the state capital.

This followed a motion of public interest raised by the member representing Lafia Central constituency Solomon AKwashiki accusing the distribution company of issuing outrageous bills to residents of Nasarawa State without supply of power.

Few months after raising an alarm on the vandalization of electricity transformers in Lafia, the state capital, the member representing Lafia Central constituency Solomon AKwashiki in a matter of public interest accused the authorities of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC of overbilling the residents of Lafia without the adequate supply of power.

Aside lamenting on the Epileptic power supply, the lawmaker alledged that AEDC is deliberately denying the issuance of prepaid meters and went ahead charging residents on repairs of transformers, installation of polls and other services, raising an alarm that businesses are gradually dying in Lafia.

This submission generated reactions in the floor of house where members accused the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC of shortchanging the people of Nasarawa State in the provision of electricity, tagging the outrageous bills without provision of power as act of corruption making a case for those responsible to appear and explain.

To the minority leader of the house, Luka Iliya Zhekaba, it is illogical for AEDC to prefer estimated billing to prepaid meters, imagining how a civil servant is being charged more than 20 thousand Naria when minimum wage is still pegged at 30,000 naira.

Member representing Lafia North Constituency Barr Esson Mariga said he wandered why Lafia still remains in darkness despite the construction of Akurba power sub-station, alleging a faul play with the deputy speaker Mohammed Adamu Oyanki challenging the Nasarawa Electricity Power Agency Naepa to rise to its responsibility now that the constitution has been amended to allow state generate power.

Members from Toto local government, Ibrahim Abdullahi Sa’ad and Garba Isimbabi said despite spending huge amounts of money, their Constituencies are not connected to the national grid, advocating the appearance of the authorities of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC before the House.

After listening to the submissions of the House members, the speaker Danladi Jatau in a resolution summoned the Area Manager of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC and the general manager of Nasarawa Electricity Power Agency to appear and explain why the epileptic power supply and outrageous bills to residents of Lafia.