PRESS RELEASE
Date: 22 November 2025
Aba, Abia State
CEHRAWS CONDEMNS APLE’S SYSTEMIC CUSTOMER ABUSE, UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT, AND VIOLATION OF ELECTRICITY CUSTOMER-RIGHTS REGULATIONS.
The Centre for Human Rights Advocacy & Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) strongly condemns the persistent, systemic, and deliberate acts of unprofessionalism, administrative obstruction, and customer-rights violations perpetrated by Aba Power Ltd. Electric (APLE) at its Aba/Ikot-Ekpene service office.
Our Executive Director, Okoye Chuka Peter, experienced firsthand the degrading and unacceptable treatment meted out to customers attempting to submit official correspondence. Despite approaching the office solely to submit a written letter, he was forced to queue with customers who came for technical and billing issues for over four hours, as APLE operates without a designated correspondence desk, in clear violation of basic administrative ethics and customer‑rights standards.
This treatment is not isolated. Numerous customers interviewed by CEHRAWS reported similar abusive encounters, including individuals forced to spend three to six hours attempting to submit written complaints. Several also reported being subjected to arbitrary arrears imposed on newly installed prepaid meters, including claims of “energy loss” for buildings that had been out of supply for years.
CEHRAWS further documented cases where APLE’s meter installation teams created contradictory directives, compelling occupants to purchase concrete poles for meter relocation under threat of disconnection, an exploitative and unlawful practice.
REGULATORY VIOLATIONS BY APLE (FEDERAL & STATE LAWS)
APLE’s conduct constitutes a serious breach of regulatory obligations under:
1. NERC Customer Protection Regulations (CPR) 2023, including:
✓ Section 2(1): Right to transparent, fair, and respectful treatment.
✓ Section 3(1)(f): Right to accessible complaint‑handling mechanisms.
✓ Section 9(3): Mandatory provision of a functional Customer Complaint Unit (CCU) with clear channels for written correspondence.
✓ Section 11(5): Prohibition of undue delays in complaint acknowledgement and processing.
2. NERC Metering Code & MAP Regulations, which prohibit:
✓ Arbitrary billing,
✓ Imposition of unjustifiable arrears,
✓ Harassment or coercion of customers,
✓ Contradictory meter installation directives that impose financial burdens not backed by regulation.
3. Abia State Electricity Market & Regulatory Commission (ASEMRC) Framework (2024), which guarantees:
✓ Citizens’ right to accessible redress mechanisms,
✓ Protection from exploitative distribution practices,
✓ Mandatory customer‑service structures enabling written complaint submission and timely processing.
CEHRAWS notes that APLE’s refusal to provide a structured correspondence desk or formal communication channel is an administrative barrier intentionally designed to frustrate lawful engagement and shield the company from accountability.
DEMANDS
With immediate effect, CEHRAWS demands:
1. Creation of a dedicated correspondence desk at the APLE Ikot‑Ekpene/Aba office for letters, official complaints, and institutional communications.
2. A public policy update by APLE detailing its new correspondence‑handling procedures.
3. Immediate review and reversal of arbitrary arrears imposed on customers via prepaid meters.
4. An end to unlawful installation directives requiring customers to purchase poles or risk disconnection.
5. Activation of the Abia State electricity regulatory enforcement mechanisms, ensuring APLE complies fully with federal and state laws.
6. A full investigation by NERC and ASEMRC into APLE’s complaint‑handling practices and customer abuses.
7. Possible compensation for customers subjected to prolonged delays, wrongful arrears, and unethical conduct.
CEHRAWS stands fully prepared to escalate this matter legally and institutionally, including:
- Filing petitions before NERC,
- Triggering public‑interest hearings before the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Commission,
- Mobilizing consumer‑rights coalitions across Aba,
- Pursuing legal remedies where necessary.
CONCLUSION
It is unacceptable for an electricity distribution company operating in one of Nigeria’s major commercial hubs to demonstrate such brazen disregard for customer dignity, regulatory compliance, and administrative fairness. APLE must immediately reform its operations, restore customer trust, and uphold the rights guaranteed under Nigerian federal electricity laws and the Abia State regulatory framework.
CEHRAWS will continue to monitor developments and will not hesitate to pursue institutional, regulatory, or legal actions to safeguard the rights and welfare of electricity consumers in Abia State.
Signed:
Okoye, Chuka Peter Executive Director
cehraws@gmail.com | +234(0)808-035-1242(WhatsApp only).
