By Abubakar Yunusa
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has warned its customers against fraudsters demanding money for prepaid metre applications.
The spokesperson for the EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this in a statement that the company is the power distribution company in charge of electricity supply in south-east Nigeria.
‘No N5,000 for metre application’
On Sunday, a man, Okechukwu Obioha, who claimed to be the national chairperson South-east Electricity Consumers Association, announced the “requirements” for metre application.
In a post on his Facebook page, Mr Obioha, among other requirements, asked electricity consumers in the South-east to pay N5,000 to the association for metre application.
He published the account details of the association and his personal mobile phone number, saying the pay was for “data and other logistics.”
Reacting to the development, Mr Ezeh, in a statement on Tuesday, stressed that EEDC does not charge its customers for metre application.
“EEDC has an online metre application infrastructure in place that allows customers to apply for prepaid metres and monitor their applications seamlessly,” he said.
Thr EEDC spokesperson described the announcement asking its customers to pay for metre application as “worrisome, fraudulent and unacceptable.”
He said that the management of EEDC has frowned at the “ugly development” deliberately designed to defraud its customers.
“We call on our customers not to allow themselves to be defrauded by paying for metre application as it is illegal, inapplicable and unnecessary”.
“It is only the cost of the metre that customers are expected to pay for under the meter asset provider programme after a demand notice must have been issued to them, having formally applied for the metre through the approved official channel,” Mr Ezeh explained.
The spokesperson advised customers who want to apply for metre to log on to the EEDC website and fill metre application form to initiate the process or visit the company’s office for assistance.
“With this note of caution, EEDC will not be liable for any financial loss by any of its customers who fall victim to this illegal activity by this group”, he stated.
He urged customers to always seek clarification and make enquiries at any EEDC office and social media handle.