@csrf

31.10.2021 news From N11,000 to N45,000 — Veterinary Doctor Overbilled by IKEDC Suspects ‘Fraudulent Game’

Published 31st Oct, 2021

By Emmanuel Uti

A veterinary doctor resident in the Ketu area of Lagos has raised the alarm over extortion by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC).

The doctor, who asked not to be named, accused IKEDC of underbilling his neighbours while serving him exorbitant bills despite using small units of electricity.

Before the coronavirus lockdown, IKEDC billed the him N11,000 monthly. However, during the lockdown, they did not bill him while they supplied electricity to his house. Later, they billed him N70,000 for March to December.

“From January, IKEDC stopped billing us. They also stopped giving us light as they usually would. But my wife and I did not mind as we usually left the house at 6 am and returned around 8 pm. To our surprise, in September, IKEDC showed up and billed us over N300,000 for January to August 2021. In October, they started billing me N45,000 per month,” he said.

READ ALSO: With Crazy Bills and Hoarded Pre-Paid Meters, IKEDC and MOJEC are Exploiting Nigerians

Confused, he reached out to one Funmilayo, the IKEDC head marketer assigned to Ketu, to ask why it took them so long to bill him and why they billed him outrageously.

“I asked Funmi why I had not received bills since the lockdown was relaxed. But she said she was giving our bills to a particular neighbour. I told her no one ever gave us them to us,” he said.

The doctor also asked Funmi why the bill for his house did not amount to N300,000 during the COVID-19 lockdown when he and his wife were at home throughout but increased by over 400 percent when they were rarely at home.

“She dismissed the conversation. Whenever I called her to talk about it, she hardly answered the calls. She is a difficult person,” he said.

READ ALSO: Residents Lament as IKEDC Cuts Lagos Community’s Electricity Over Flood

He also said he suspects that Funmi might be defrauding him with outrageous billing. According to him, IKEDC officials used to give him bills containing his house number, but that has not been the case lately.

“Recently, I needed to use my utility bill to apply for something in an organisation. The organisation declined it because the bill had no house number. It then dawned on me that a fraudulent game was being played,” he said.

“We use LCD light; we outsource most of what we need. So, how did my wife and I ever consume electric units worth N20,000, let alone N45,000 in a month?”

READ ALSO: From N260,000/Month, Ikeja Electric Scams Apartment with N1.2m Bill

The doctor accused IKEDC of disconnecting his cable from the pole, usually on Thursdays, and asking him to pay a reconnection fee of N3,000 if he wanted his cable reconnected.

“In the last one week, I have been to their office twice to pay. I have been paying, so it does not seem as though I was unwilling to pay, but it is an unfair bill. They embarrass me by pulling my cable down,” he said.

Three months ago, IKEDC allocated prepaid metres to many households in the neighbourhood, but the doctor said he didn’t get one. One of the men hired to distribute the metres to houses across his neighbourhood told him that someone else had signed and received his.

READ ALSO: Ikeja Electric Punishes 400 Customers with Darkness for Protesting against Outrageous Billing

“I contacted the marketer to know why this happened. She specifically said that the one meant for me was not given because I was not available when the metres were distributed. She said I’d have to wait for the next batch, but when?” he wondered.

FIJ placed several calls to Funmi, the IKEDC marketer assigned to Ketu, but her number was unreachable. A text was sent to her phone but she had not responded as of press time.

When FIJ contacted Akin Ayeni, the Public Relations Officer of IKEDC for comments, he referred our reporter to the Undertaking Manager at the IKEDC Ketu office. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Published 31st Oct, 2021

By Emmanuel Uti

Advertisement

Our Stories

KFC

4 Times PWDs Accused KFC of Discrimination in Different Countries

FIJ Longlisted for One World Media Award — The 3rd Time in a Row

Okuama Resident Who Said Slain Soldiers Were Not for Peacekeeping on Army’s Wanted List

Month-Long Power Outage Forces UCH Doctors to Perform Surgeries With Phone Lights

Army Names 8 People Wanted for Okuama Massacre

LP Reserves 2027 Presidential Ticket for Obi

‘For His Disability, KFC Humiliates Ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel’s Son at Lagos Airport’

Jail

Lagos Resident Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Sexually Assaulting 5-Year-Old

JUST IN: Despite Opposition, LP Re-Elects Julius Abure as Chairman

Overland Airways

Overland Airways Refunds Lawyer’s N348,000 After FIJ’s Story

Advertisement