Umuahia Residents Protest 400% Electricity Bill Hike, Demand Immediate Review from EEDC
By SpringnewsNG Media Limited August 15,2025
Tensions flared in Umuahia, Abia State, on Thursday as residents of the World Bank Housing Estate stormed the office of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to protest what they described as an outrageous 400% increase in their electricity bills.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the protesters alleged that their estimated monthly bills had skyrocketed from about N8,000 to N47,000 per household without justification.
The acting Chairperson of the World Bank Housing Estate Residents Association, Kalu Florence, described the hike as “exploitative and unimaginable,” questioning how a public servant earning less than N80,000 monthly could afford such charges while catering for a family. She demanded an immediate downward review and warned against any disconnection of power supply.
Other residents expressed frustration, noting that several letters to EEDC management went unanswered, with threats of disconnection instead. They cautioned that if the issue was not addressed promptly, they might be compelled to take actions that “may not be palatable.”
Responding, EEDC Operations Manager, Engineer Amaga, appealed for dialogue and held a closed-door meeting with the residents’ representatives. However, the peace talks, which lasted over three hours, ended without any resolution, leaving the community still aggrieved.
