Petty traders, mostly women, have staged a protest round the streets of Awada to Ogidi, near Onitsha in Anambra, against epileptic power supply and exorbitant billing.
The protesters displayed placards such as “We are in total blackout, help us”; “We pay high bills still no light,” and “Estimated billing system must stop,” among others.
Speaking at the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Ugwunwasike area of Ogidi, Mrs Ndidiamaka Agu, their spokesperson, said the epileptic power supply had adversely affected their businesses.
Agu said they had been forced to rely on generators because of the unstable and poor power supply at Ezeiweka area of Awada.
“More worrisome is that they issue us with exorbitant bills ranging from N7, 000 to N15, 000 monthly per shop.
“I have been in this business for 20 years at Ezeiweka and have not experienced this type of billing system,” she said.
Agu called for low billing and the distribution of pre-paid meters to ease their financial burden as petty traders.
The Network Manager, Operations, EEDC, Mr Christopher Ezioma, assured them that the company would attend to their demands. (NAN)