Enugu – The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC has announced system collapse in the state and South East region which would lead to blackout for some days.

The EEDC made the announce on Monday, October 14 following the collapse of the national grid, the six 9f such breakdown in 2024.

The statement signed by Mr Emeka Ezeh, Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC said the sollapse has led to loss of supply and inability to provide services to South East states of Anambra, Abia, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi.

“The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a general system collapse that occurred at 18:48 hours today, 14th October, 2024. This has resulted in the loss of supply currently being experienced across EEDC network.

“Consequently, due to this development, all our interface TCN stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide services to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States,” the statement said

It however, reassured the customers that the EEDC is working round the clock to restore supply as they are “on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo.”

It could be recalled that the national electricity grid collapsed on Monday, leading to a nationwide blackout.

According to a statement on X by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), the national grid collapsed at 6:58pm.

AEDC said a system failure at the national grid affected the power supply from its franchise area.

“Please be informed that the power outage being experienced is due to a system failure from the national grid at 6:58pm today, affecting the power supply to our franchise areas,” the company said.

“Rest assured, we are working with the relevant stakeholders to restore power as soon as the grid is stabilised. Thank you for your understanding.”

The national electricity grid has collapsed six times in 2024.

On August 5, various distribution companies (DisCos) said their feeders became inactive, resulting in widespread blackouts across the country.

Similarly, Nigeria recorded the fourth system failure at the national grid on July 6.

Also, the national grid collapsed on April 15, March 28 and February 4.

On May 1, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said the number of system collapses has declined by 76.47 percent in five years.

Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s spokesperson, said the country recorded 20 system collapses from 2020 till May 1, compared to the 85 grid disturbances between 2015 to 2019.

TCN said it had deployed a digital system called generation dip/loss detection system (GLDS) to swiftly detect and respond to sudden drops in power generation.

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The Enugu State Government has slammed the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, over its billing and disconnection of some of the state government’s offices, describing the actions as unlawful, malicious, callous, and vexatious.

It also faulted EEDC’s claim of government’s indebtedness to the company to the tune of N1.3bn, explaining that besides prompt payment of all electricity bills received from the EEDC since May 2023, the Governor Peter Mbah Administration had equally cleared two months backlog of debts in line with the governor’s commitment to offset all legitimate electricity debts inherited from his predecessors.

The government stated this in a letter to the EEDC Managing Director/CEO dated Tuesday, June 11, 2024 and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia.

The letter entitled, “Re: Notice of Disconnections to Indebted Customers and Actual Disconnections of Enugu State Government Offices”, reads in part, “Enugu State Government received the disconnection notice published in national daily newspapers. We have also received the information that EEDC has disconnected some Enugu State government institutions.

“We note that both the publication of notice of disconnections and the actual disconnections on Saturday 8th June, 2024 were based on wrong premises and total disregard to NERC rules and standing Order on estimated billing of Maximum demand customers.

“Accordingly, the state government notes as follows: That EEDC letter dated 7 June 2024 addressed to His Excellency the Governor of Enugu State that the outstanding electricity bill is N1,319,571,131.21.

“That the said outstanding electricity bills are estimated billing of Maximum demand agencies and parastatals of the state government carried over from the last administration as the current administration has diligently and promptly paid all bills received from May 2023 to date including 2 months from the carried over bill which it has shown commitment in good faith to settle.

“That NERC Order NO/NERC/197/2020 paragraph 13 subsection (a) states: ‘Any Maximum demand agencies and parastatals customer not provided with meter by 1 March 2017 shall not pay any electricity bills presented by a DisCo on the basis of estimated billing methodology and these customers are advised to report to the Commission.

“Paragraph 13 subsection (b) states No DisCo shall disconnect any Maximum demand agencies and parastatals customers that were not metered by 1March 2024 on the basis of the customer’s refusal to pay an invoice issued on the basis of estimated billing after the compliance deadline.”

Continuing, the government stated, “Considering the provisions of NERC Order, the recent disconnections of government offices, parastatals viz: College of Medicine ESUT Teaching hospital, Housing development corporation, State Secretariat, etc. is unlawful, callous and has inflicted malicious damages to the image and integrity of the state government. These acts are vexatious and completely unacceptable.”

“Therefore, the government demands detailed bills and the accounts statements/histories of the government agencies that make up the claimed state’s indebtedness to EEDC for forensic audit investigations.

“The government further demands immediate and total metering of al its agencies in line with NERC Order.”

In furtherance of the rights of the state government agencies, the government additionally demanded a refund of its electricity infrastructure investment from which it said EEDC had made so much money as well as a retraction of false claim of the state’s indebtedness to it, which government insists was defamatory.

“Following the NERC Order NO/197/2020, the government hereby notifies EEDC management that it will no longer pay any electricity bills based on the estimated billing methodology.

“The government notes that it has carried out electricity infrastructure intervention projects investment totaling N2,979,334,305.19 from which EEDC collects revenue. The government demands payments for the investment costs and other debts owed by EEDC to the government.

“Finally, the government demands immediate retraction of the malicious publication and immediate reconnection of all disconnected government agencies as the basis for a truce,” the government concluded.

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