Widespread Discontent as Protesters Storm EKEDC Office
Kehinde Adeleye
Chaos erupted at the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) offices on Mba-Cardoso Street in the Ajegunle area of Lagos when hundreds of residents, led by the Ajegunle Peoples Movement (APM), protested against multiple billings and tariff hikes.
Protesters, who arrived with solidarity songs and drum beats, expressed dissatisfaction with the alleged scams and sharp increases in electricity tariffs, pre-paid meter fees, and multiple billing systems.
The APM called for the formation of Democratic Action groups within Ajeromi-Ifelodun communities to resist unjust disconnections and excessive “Yahoo Yahoo bills.”
A member of the APM, Austin said, “The Discos and EKEDC in particular is through estimated billing system causing pains on the masses and adding to the already excruciating hardship occasioned by the harsh economic policies of the Government”.
He added that electricity supply to Ajegunle, Ifelodun and environs ‘was erratic, in short supply and very unpredictable, even with the extortive bills’.
APM expressed outrage over the persistent system collapse resulting in power outages, questioning the rationale behind the privatization of the PHCN.
The protest in Ajegunle mirrors similar demonstrations across various Lagos communities, highlighting residents’ mounting frustrations over tariff hikes, estimated billings, and inadequate government intervention.
