The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has allegedly been invaded by corrupt and bribe-taking workers that are making fast money in Kuje, one of the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
Investigations revealed that the field workers, most of who are half-literates, have embarked on disconnecting supplies to the houses whose occupants would not bribe them even if such consumers had been paying their electricity bills.
Some residents of Chibiri, the Kuje suburb, complained loudly that the workers invaded the village between Thursday and Friday last week, openly demanding between N2,000 and N5,000 from each of the houses to spare them the embarrassment of disconnecting their electricity.
It was gathered that those who might have gone to their offices in Garki and were therefore not around to pay the bribe money had their electricity disconnected even when the workers were shown the bills they had officially paid to their office.
One of the affected consumers, Mallam Salihu Mohammed said that when his grown up son showed the electricity workers copies of the bill which he had been paying at their office, they complained that the money was too small and went ahead to disconnect the supply when the son could not give them N4,000 which they openly demanded.
Another consumer, who was lucky to be at home when the workers came calling, said that he was made to part with the last N3,000 on him despite that he was not even owing the company.
It was learnt that the invading workers made an old man who has never ever paid bill since he built his house over 15 years ago, to part with just N3,000 after which his connection was left intact One of the workers who invaded Chibiri village in Kuje area council was overheard saying that they were going to make some returns to their bosses in office, and that they were looking for money for Christmas and New Year festivities.
When contacted, Chief Spokesman of the AEDC, Malam Ahmed Shekarau said that the management was going to investigate the matter and that any staff found to have engaged in bribe-taking would be punished.
Shekarau said that the company had always encouraged customers to report any of the staff that behaved abnormally to the regional or head office for necessary action, adding that the management would not condone any form of corruption.
“As for allegations of demand for bribes, we encourage our customers to make formal complaints to us through our Regional or even the Head Office so that we can investigate. And where we establish veracity ofsuch accusations, the staff concerned will be duly sanctioned”, Shekarau explained.
