By Emma Okereh
The residents of Nurses Community in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa state have threatened to protest at the Mararaba 2 Area Office of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) following alleged diversion and refusal to mount its already approved transformer.
The community accused the management of the Area Office of AEDC of diverting its already approved transformer after it has completed all the necessary requirements for the transformer to be mounted.
Residents who threaten a show down with the AEDC management noted that the community has been on load shading following the overloading of its only transformer, which it said had broken down at different occasions, leaving the entire community without light.
They regretted that their application for a new transformer , which was made to the Managing Director of AEDC on 30th July 2024, through the Area office in charge in Mararaba 2 Area office was formally approved, adding that the community was thereafter, asked to commence work at the site, where the transformer will be mounted.
“We are mobilizing all residents to stage a protest at the AEDC office in Mararaba over this ill treatment. We had met all the requirement for the transformer. The AEDC officials came and decided on where the transformer will be sited, they asked us to construct the basement for the transformer, as well as provide the needed iron work for the safety of the transformer, all these we had done and they came for inspection and approved it.
” It was to our surprise when we got to know that the office had received some transformers which eluded us. Upon investigation, we gathered that our transformer designate was taken to an unknown place by the management of Mararaba Area 2, and this we will not accept.
” We have suffered untold stress and spent much on this. Our only and overloaded transformer broke down around May and every resident was tasked to pay N50,000 which was used to fix it to the current manageable condition it is, That had left us on load shadding where every resident is forced to operate on a single face, due to the condition of the transformer
We were told by AEDC officials from the Mararaba Area office that our transformer is overloaded which requires a relief to avoid load shedding. We are 95% on prepaid meter on Band B, so we should not be treated this way the AEDC is handling us. We will reject this and we will soon move to the AEDC in Mararaba and beyond to make our complains heard,” a leader of the community stated.
