Consumers of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company in the Onike Iwaya area of Lagos, Saturday, received a shocker after staff of the company issued violent threats over refusal of some residents to pay them bribes.
It all started when a consumer called the operations team in order to help restore a burned cable that leads to the power line. The damaged cable had caused the consumers to go two days without electricity after a general blackout in the area which had lasted over a week.
Eko DISCO staff arrived, led by two persons identified as Hajiya and Paso, and demanded for money to resolve the problem. As the consumer who called them was negotiating the amount that will be paid to them to do their lawful jobs, another resident in the area noted it was not right to pay the staff money to do a job they are already being paid to do. The resident reportedly told the staff that the DISCO was fond of charging residents high bills even without reading metres and added it was wrong for them to collect inducements to do their jobs whilst there are many Nigerians looking for a way to earn an honest living.
At this point one of the technicians and Paso started to harass anc verbally attack the resident, mentioning all sort of unprintable names and asking for a physical fight.
The technicians left without fixing the light and the residents continue to languish without electricity.
One of them speaking with The Herald anonymously said, “It’s unfortunate, we Nigerians clamour for change but are not ready to change ourselves. The Eko Electricity staff since even before the privatization are fond of extorting money from consumers, especially that chap called Paso but almost all of them that go around are involved. Sometimes we suspect they deliberately tamper with the light so that we can call them and they can earn some money from their normal bribes. It’s really unfortunate because they do not read the meters, and just bring exorbitant bills.
Another resident said, “The bills are ridiculous. Even in a month when you don’t see electricity for up to 10 days, they will bring a bill of N5,000 as if there’s been steady electricity. I really hope the government reverses this privatization because it appears we are worse off than before. The management of Eko especially must know nothing about electricity distribution and customer service. It is too bad.”
One of the residents also provided The Herald with photos of the staff in their illegal action.
