In Aba, the bustling commercial center of Abia State, local tailors took to the streets as a means to voice their dissatisfaction regarding the exorbitant electricity expenses and alleged coercive practices attributed to Aba Power Limited (APL), a subsidiary of Geometric Power.

As per their accounts, the electricity company's practice of issuing estimations for their bills was outrageously high, posing a severe threat to their business sustainability, even amidst inconsistent power supply.

The protesting tailors, who staged their demonstration on a Wednesday, voiced their concerns that the actions of the electricity company were casting adverse impacts on their businesses, leading to significant discontent within their ranks.

During a conversation with the media amidst the protest, one of the participating tailors named Ikenna Agu, disclosed that the electricity company had a history of subjecting them to harassment and intimidation through the involvement of police personnel and soldiers, all in the name of bill payment.

Agu recounted an incident from the previous Saturday, detailing that the electricity company, accompanied by soldiers, had descended upon their business premises. This unannounced visit resulted in the abrupt disconnection of their power lines and even escalated to physical altercations, involving both tailors and even some customers.

Agu added ‘‘What is painful about the issue is that APL gives us bills that are more than the number of shops we have in a block.

“How can I be paying N18,000 monthly in my small shop, when I don’t have up to 24 hours light in a month?

“They bring 38 bills in our own building, which does not have 38 shops.” He appealed to the Abia State Government to urgently intervene and call the company to order.

Another tailor, Ugochukwu Iheme, “APL is making life miserable for them” while another, Ebere Okoro, said the problem was that the bill was not commensurate with the energy they supply.

In a prompt response, Blessing Ogbe, the Chief Commercial Officer at Aba Power Limited, swiftly refuted the accusations, countering that the groups of tailors were strategically connected to the most active electricity feeder.

According to a report by Premium Times, Ogbe asserted that the company had ensured that the designated feeder supplied electricity to these tailors from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day, underscoring that these customers were not subjected to estimated billing.

The electricity company emphasized their consistent adherence to the capping order set forth by the National Electricity Regulatory Commission. In a challenge directed towards the tailors, they encouraged the presentation of their monthly bills for cross-verification under the prescribed capping regulations.

Ogbe maintained that the company was aware that around 30 tailors commonly shared a single shop and, consequently, only a fraction of them was charged.

Responding to the ongoing dispute, Chimezie Okegwu, the Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Industry, conveyed his lack of awareness regarding the protest. He assured that the state government would initiate an investigation into the alleged extortion once the ministry had formally received a report on the matter.

“Any extortion is illegal as long as it is truly extortion, but another thing is for us to know if it is really extortion.

“It may be legitimate, but a legitimate thing could also be done wrongly. We have to check if it is extortion or a legitimate fee, the timing and how it was done,” he said.