EEDC Rejects Imo Govt’s Sabotage Claims, Points To Longstanding Dispute

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has strongly denied recent allegations by the Imo State Government that it plans a “massive power outage” to undermine Imo’s “Light-Up” electricity project.

In a statement on Sunday, EEDC’s Group Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh, called the claims “baseless, unfounded and completely devoid of truth,” and urged Imo customers to dismiss them.

Genesis of the Conflict

The tensions between EEDC and Imo State have deep roots:

Imo launched its own licensed distribution company, Orashi Electricity, under the oversight of the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ISERC).

The state government accuses EEDC of wanting to protect its monopoly and stymie the new entrant.

There is a history of physical confrontations: in May 2025, Imo officials allegedly demolished EEDC’s Orlu district office, destroying property without warning.

EEDC, on its part, has repeatedly complained that contractors working for the Imo government damage its infrastructure including high-tension poles and transformers during uncoordinated state construction projects.

There is also financial friction: reports suggest that Imo Government House was once disconnected by EEDC for failing to pay a large electricity debt estimated at over N200m.

Moreover, in past outages (for example, a week-long blackout in 2023), EEDC said it could not supply power because its transmission source (the Egbu station) was shut down in a labour action a factor it insists is beyond its control.

Current Response

Ezeh said the latest accusation — that EEDC is plotting a brutal power cut to discredit Imo’s own power company — is part of a broader propaganda strategy by the state government. He reaffirmed that EEDC has no plan for any major outage in Imo.

He also reiterated the company’s commitment to improving service delivery across Imo and the wider South-East. But Ezeh called on the Imo Government to create a more cooperative environment, warning that repeated state-sponsored disruptions and infrastructure destruction are impeding EEDC’s operations.

Finally, he added that if any future outages occur, the finger of blame, in his view, should point squarely at state officials not EEDC.