By ALEX ENEBELI

A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu on Thursday, adjourned Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC)’s N5 billion suits against the South East Electricity Consumers Association (SEECA) to Nov. 27.

The EEDC had dragged EEECA to court for allegedly interfering in its activities in the South-East by inciting electricity consumers against payment of outrageous and estimated billing system and other anti-people activities of the company in the region.

The defendants in the case were the leaders of SEECA and the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

When the matter was called up for hearing, the Counsel to EEDC, Mr Okwudili Agbo, pleaded with the court for more time to respond to some papers served on his client by the defendants.

But Counsel to the defendants, Ejike Ezenwa (SAN), who said that he was ready for the case, conceded to the plea for adjournment to allow the plaintiff file his reply.

After listening to both sides, the presiding judge, Justice M.G Umar, adjourned the case to Nov. 27 for hearing.

Addressing newsmen on why his client chose to sue SEECA, Agbo said that the EEDC wanted the court to determine whether any other organisation had the right to perform regulatory functions outside NERC.

“Our clients observed that a certain group, which calls itself SEECA were issuing orders, directives, and threats to the customers of our clients. They were ordering our clients not to pay bills given to them.

“Our concern is not whether there is any merit or not but if you understand, you know that our client is regulated by the NERC.

“This is the reason we are saying that if there is any problem with the operations of our clients, Nigeria is not a place where you resort to self-help but go to court,” EEDC counsel said.

Speaking to newsmen also, Chairman, SEECA, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, said that the EEDC took the group to court for enlightening other electricity consumers on their rights and obligations concerning electricity supply.

“Our offense is that we came out to ask the EEDC why we still have about 70 per cent of South Easterners on estimated billing and customers not given prepaid meters as directed by NERC.

“They felt threatened by our information to our people and took us to court,” Obioha alleged.

He further said that NERC investigated the complaints of the South-East customers and found out that from January to September 2023 and discovered that EEDC as a DISCO was owing consumers on estimated billing, bulk billing and community billings worth N11.8 billion.

“NERC agreed with the DISCOs on a calculated average that should be given to customers on estimated billing monthly, until they are metered.

“They called it CAP and EEDC has refused to abide by these agreements,” he said. (NAN)