Nnabugwu chizoba and Anyiam Uzoma Edward
We promised our readers that we
shall probe into the reasons behind the level of anger and despondence being expressed
by the customers of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), in Jos Metropolis,
whenever the name of the Company is mentioned.
The outcome of the investigation is
quite revealing, engaging and obviously nauseating. Please read on!
A widow, who spoke on anonymous
condition, because of the likelihood of intimidation and victimization,
according to her, complained bitterly over what she considered as the
wickedness of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company.
According to her, she packed into a
property that she rented recently. Few days into the property, the workers of
Jos Electricity Distribution Company stepped out and descended heavily on her.
She said: it started as a treat of
severing the source of power to the part of the building that serves as her
business center and ended a reality, though not without intrigues and high
handedness by the staff of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company.
Speaking in a tone evidently ladled
with despair, pain and agony, she narrated her experience, saying:
“After collecting the key to the
property, it became obvious that there has not been electricity supply to my
part of the building for a long time. As a matter of fact, virtually, all
electrical wirings and fittings in the property were either dismantled or disconnected
or not in a functional condition. For this reason, I drew the attention of one
of the staff of the Jos electricity Distribution Company, and reported the
matter”.
Continuing she said “The advice I
received from the staff, was that the Company (JEDC) does not have anything to
do with wirings inside the house, that it is solely the responsibility of the
consumer. He then advised me to seek the services of an electrician to assist me
with the work, of which I did”.
According to her, when she was done
with the internal wiring, she requested to be connected to the national grid.
The JEDC staff who came for that told her that the person that packed out from
the property was owing about N96,000 (Ninety Six Thousand Naira) and wanted to
know if she was ready to pay the bill, to which she said no.
The staff then told her that the
condition for reconnection into her side of the property is that she pays the outstanding
bill, N96,000. On the alternative, the staff demanded to know if she knows the
person that packed from the property, to which she told him that the Landlord
should know better.
However, she made enquiries later
and got the information that the person still comes around.
Luckily for her, or so she thought,
two days after, a team of JEDC staff were on duty in the area, so she decided
to share her experience with them. According to her “I, informed them that the
former occupant of the building still comes around. In what could be regarded as
wonderful coincidence, the former occupant came around, and one of them
accosted her. After the discussion between the JEDC staff and the former
occupant of the property, I was told the former occupant acknowledge the existence
of the debt, but says that things are difficult”.
She said “On this note, the team
asked me to make arrangement and restore the light, saying they will sort
things out with the former occupant of the property. After this incident, I invited
a staff of the JEDC, who after discussion, connected me to the national grid”.
According to her, few days after,
another team of JEDC staff came, on the same matter. And she took time to narrate
her story to them. To which one of them said “the person we have issues with is
the former occupant, not with you (the woman in this story) since the former
occupant can be traced”.
Few days after, some of them from
the team that visited last came and insisted that she must pay the Ninety Six
thousand Naira, otherwise they will severe the light. And when she was unable
to pay they severed the light and went with the wire that she bought and used earlier for the reconnection. It was at
this point that she was advised by someone to visit the office of the Company (JEDC),
to which she did. Funny enough the officer she met insisted that she must pay
the entire bill (N96,000).
TO BE CONTINUED
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