…the protest had only been suspended and not cancelled – Obi explained
Coordinator of Electricity Consumers Rights Network in Anambra, Comrade Osita Obi, have announced the suspension of the Saturday March 14 planned protest, till further notice.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that
Activist Obi announced the suspension of the protest at a news conference in Awka on Friday.
Obi stressed that the protest had only been suspended and not cancelled. He explained that the decision followed security concerns raised by security agencies, including the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Anambra State Government ahead of the governor’s inauguration on March 17.
The cordinator who was joined at the press conference by Mr Tony Erike and Nonso Okpara, representatives of the consumer community, said the suspension had become necessary to because of the volume of pressure and threats on him and other members of the organising team.
According to Obi, the agencies expressed fears that the protest could be hijacked by hoodlums, disclosing that he had received more than 157 calls, some of which were threatening, urging him to call off the protest.
He, however, denied allegations that he was bribed to suspend the protest, insisting that no one could bribe him.
“Having listened to these people, we decided to suspend the protest, not cancel it,”.
Obi said he would not want to take any action that might not augur well for the state, urging electricity consumers to attend a town hall meeting scheduled by FirstPower for March 18, where they would have the opportunity to ask questions about the power situation in the state.
“We will continue to engage; we are not chickening out,” Obi stressed.
He also decried the quality of power supply in the state, describing it as “useless,” noting that even the few hours electricity is supplied are often inconsistent and unreliable.
Obi who regretted the suspension of the protest called on electricity customers not to relent in their demand for quality service delivery.
