The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Nasarawa State Council has called on the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, to intervene on the exploitative attitude of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) towards electricity consumers in Lafia and environs.

In a statement issued in Lafia and signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Council, Comrade Salihu Mohammed Alkali and Sunday John, regretted that with all the efforts put in by both the federal and Nasarawa state governments towards making the Akurba 330 KVA substation a reality, the long suffering of the people regarding electricity supply still persists—nothing has changed in the hours of supply despite the hike in tariff.

It noted that residents of Lafia and environs welcome the Akurba 330 KVA line with great enthusiasm, believing that their long sufferings due to a total lack of electricity will come to pass, but regrettably, Lafia residents were made to contend with the old order as nothing significant was noticed in the hours of supply of electricity to consumers by the AEDC.

The statement maintained that the most disturbing aspect of it was the migration of consumers of electricity in Lafia and environs from Band D to Band A, which made consumers pay a higher tariff without commensurate supply of electricity as stipulated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The statement explained that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) stipulates that any electricity consumer on Band A must enjoy supply of electricity for 20 hours and above per day, but in Lafia, despite placing consumers on Band A, consumers hardly enjoy electricity for 5 hours in a day. However, the statement called on Governor Abdullahi Sule to call AEDC to order by impressing on them to either start supplying electricity for 20 hours and above or revert consumers to their Band D, pending time when they are ready to supply the electricity as stipulated for consumers on Band A,

The statement dismissed the call for the state government to repair the abandoned Shendam Road sub-station as part of an effort at improving electricity supply to Lafia and environs, insisting that AEDC should