Residents of Umuahia Protest the EEDC Office About Outrageous Electricity Costs.

The unprecedented rise in electricity bills observed in certain areas of Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, provoked the anger of residents this Thursday (14/8/25) as they marched to the Enugu Electricity Development Company (EEDC) office in the city to express their discontent. The protesters, consisting of residents from the World Bank Housing Estate, marched over three kilometers while chanting discontented songs, signifying their rejection of the exorbitant bills that had surged by over 400%, and they issued a warning against potential disconnections. The furious residents carried placards, some of which stated: "World Bank cries: Power bills are higher than rents; Estimated billing is illegal and criminal; We cannot jump from N8000 to paying N47,000," among others. While presenting their complaints to the EEDC Operations Manager, Engineer Amaga, Kalu Florence, the Acting Chair of the World Bank Housing Estate Residents Association, characterized the electricity bill for July as not only outrageous but also inhumane and exploitative, demanding an immediate reduction. Kalu, who disclosed that they had submitted numerous letters of complaint without any response, emphasized that it was unfathomable for someone who previously paid N8,000 to suddenly receive a bill of N47,000, questioning how a public servant earning less than N80,000 could endure such a drastic increase based on estimated billing. Expressing their concerns, other residents who spoke urged EEDC to ensure that residents would not face disconnection, warning that they might be compelled to take actions that could be undesirable. They also appealed to the state government to intervene to prevent further exploitation of the populace amidst the current challenging economic conditions. In response, Operations Manager Engineer Amaga advocated for dialogue to resolve the issue and subsequently entered into a closed-door session with the representatives of the group. Hanto Daily News reports that after more than three hours of discussions, no substantial positive agreement was achieved. Nevertheless, discussions are anticipated to continue on Thursday evening, as the public maintains that they will not settle the exorbitant charge.