Enugu Micro-Finance Bank Threatens Legal Action Against EEDC Over Invasion, Unlawful Disconnection Of Its Premises

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, June 28th, 2021

…..Demands N50 Million Compensation

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Ohha Micro-Finance Bank, Enugu, South- East Nigeria, has threatened legal action against the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), over unlawful disconnection of electricity supply to its premise and equally demanding fifty million naira as damages from the establishment.

It described as shocking the recent unruly and barbaric behaviour of EEDC officials who invaded it’s premises to carry out the unlawful disconnection after disrupting banking activities in the bank

The Bank expressed surprise that the Electricity Distribution Company could flagrantly disobeyed the verdict of the Enugu forum of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC.

A petition written on behalf of the MicroFinance Bank by its Lawyer, Barrister Olu Omotayo to the EDDC leadership, and made available to African Examiner read thus “We are solicitors to Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited of No.1, Ogui Road, Enugu, who we shall hereinafter refer to as our client.

“We have our clients’ instructions and authority to write this petition to you. Our client had earlier made a complaint to the NERC Forum file a Complaint NO: NERC/05/CA/FO/EN/21/1259.

“Wherein it complained of refusal by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), to install Prepaid meter for the bank despite the application for installation of meter made to the company since 2019, and arbitrary, excessive electricity bills calculated based on estimated billing.

“It should be noted that after the complaint was filed the company in annoyance after the notice of the Complaint brought a punitive bill of N368,790 :71K, contrary to the bill of N67,535 :42K, earlier brought

by the marketer for the same month of April 2021.

According to the petition, “the NERC Forum had after listening to the submission of Olu Omotayo Esq. and the representatives of EEDC officials who represented the company made a Finding That : “The Forum in their findings observed that two bills were issued in the month of April 2021, and held thus;

“The Forum in view of the above finding resolved that EEDC shall reconciled account using six months average consumption after meter is installed.

” That he shall pay for the first bill issued to him by his marketer for April, 2021 bill and ignore the later since EEDC, did not retrieve the former when it brought the later.

“That the Forum ruled that the first bill that was issued shall hold, adding that EEDC shall install meter within 30days

“The said Judgment of the NERC Forum is attached herewith. It is submitted that this decision remains binding on the company since it did not appeal against it.

Omotayo in the petition dated 25th, June2021, pointed out that “since that 26th day of April 2021, till date the company has not install Prepaid meter as ordered by NERC, as still insist on the validity of the 2nd bill of N368,790 :71K, for the month of April 2021, hence the invasion of our clients banking hall by over 10, officials of EEDC, led by Nweke Udochukwu and Henry Izuu, disrupting

banking activities and unlawfully disconnecting the electricity supply to the premises.

We therefore, “Submit that the Judgment of the NERC Forum stands because there is

no appeal against it by the company.

” It is therefore, recklessness and a grave assault on the Rule of law by officials of EEDC who invaded

our clients’ premises.

“We therefore demand thus: Immediate reconnection of electricity supply to the premises of our

client. Public apology to be tendered to our company within 72hours.

It added “N50, 000 000 : 00K (Fifty million Naira) for unlawful disconnection of electricity supply to our clients’ premises and disruption of banking activities by your officials who conducted themselves in an unruly and barbaric manner in the course of this invasion.

Efforts by African Examiner to get reaction of the public Relations officer PRO of EDDC, Mr. Emeka Eze on the development was unsuccessful, as his mobile phone was switched off as at the time of filing this report.