FirstPower Levies Awka Village N2.1m For Replacement Of Vandalised Facilities

Residents of Amudo village Awka have been levied over N2.1 million for replacement of facilities vandalised in the Ifite Road transformer over than three weeks ago.

Already in consultation with the management of FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited a taskforce headed by the chairman of the village leadership, Mr. Afam Nwanna, has levied residents between N2,000 and N5,000 to raise the amount.

While every small shop operator and occupant of a one-room self-contain accommodation should pay N2,000, those whose shops are big and, occupants of between two, three bedroom apartments, and above, were levied N5,000 each.

But what the residents expressed as their most concern over the sad development during a meeting with the FirstPower’s head of communication, Mr. Izunna Okafor at the village hall, Amudo over the weekend, was, their strong suspicion that the vandalisation of the transformer is being carried out by unscrupulous elements in connivance with the staff members of the electricity company.

Some of the residents narrated that within the past two years the transformer had been vandalised three times, including the latest one that occured about three weeks ago, precisely in the night of 3rd February, 2026 while it was raining.

One of residents stated “Each time this transformer is vandalised, we will be asked to contribute money, and, after making the contribution, NEPA (EEDC that was the distribution company then) will not do anything to protect the transformer from being vandalised again by providing security around it.

“Now, FirstPower has taken over, and, the same thing is still happening.

“Now you people (FirstPower) has said that 20 metres of armoured cables that cost N95,000 per metre, and, other things should be purchased before you can give us light again, how much is Firstpower contributing to the whole amount?

“Or is it because you are enjoying monopoly that makes you don’t care since more than three weeks now we have been in darkness in this village?

“After all, you are making a lot of gains if there is light. You even give some people estimated bill. But since this problem happened you haven’t shown any concern”, the resident  lamented.

Another resident argued, “MTN, Airtel, Glo, etc, has never told their customers to pay any levy because their facilities were vandalised.

“They know how to protect their facilities. But, it is only NEPA (EEDC or FirstPower) that will force customers to contribute money if anything happens to their transformer because you are enjoying monopoly.

“And we see you people carrying ladder moving round everywhere in a shuttle bus in the day and in the night, yet, you will tell people that thieves are vandalising transformers”, he argued further.

In his response the FirstPower’s communication head expressed sympathy with the residents for having been in darkness since over three weeks.

He, however, advised them to raise the N2.1million as requested so that their light could be restored soonest.

Izunna said that ordinarily, it is the responsibility of his company to replace the vandalised transformer, but, said that if left for the company to do, it might not happen soon, and, that might keep them in darkness indefinitely.

In his reaction, an Anambra-based human rights activist, and, co-ordinator of Recover Nigeria Project, Comrade Osita Obi, warned FirstPower to leave up to its civic responsibility of providing steady electricity services to the people of the state, or, face civil disobedience.