Ajegunle - As 1929 was when thousands of women in Aba rose against the British colonial tax on the poor which was introduced by the British colonial Lords and Merchants to augment the colossal lost of the First World War 1914 - 18; so also today recorded in Ajegunle, Lagos.
On Wednesday 16 May, 2018 hundreds of women at Ugbekwankwo, Eradiri (old and young) including other neighbouring communities at the very hour of 10am protested against the unjustifiable crazy bill. They marched to tore the skin of heaven with their voices singing songs like Solidarity forever! (X3). We shall always fight for our rights!
From information gathered, while they marched without placards, banners yet the women protesting were peaceful and vigorous. They marched from Eradiri, Ugbekwankwo streets to the business unit office of EKEDC Badia to registered their plight. While they peacefully marched on the road of Ijora Badia, a lot of people sympathize with them and also join in the protest.
They were full to the brim with agitation and also embittered over the methodological ways of billing. That the unjustifiable method of billing is not transparency. That it is inhuman and very exploitative. For the women not doing nothing, will continue to license the private run organizations to exploit the entire community. People in the community will never never stop paying through their nose.
With their hundreds at the gate of EKEDC. The demands were the private company should stop issuing crazy bill. That it is too much. That they want prepaid metre. Hearing these, those who sympathize and join the women when marching to the EKEDC office, were also trigger to hype the spirit of the protest. For a lot of people the private run capitalist corporate organization have continue to carry on injustice against the masses.
Because of the inability of the EKEDC management, knowing fully well that its has fail to meet up the expectation of its consumers on the issue of providing free prepaid metre, replacing all dilapidated facilities, resolving the boiling matter of crazy bill etc. They decided to go behind the mass to remove the "fuse" from the transformer that supply residents electricity residing in the community.
For a lot of people, the protest had huge impact and its proof the confidence in the community that the EKEDC management were afraid to come out to address the protesters at the gate. Some of the casual workers were in sympathy with the women. It is like the police who most times sympathizes with workers protesting but cannot join because of the condition restraining them. However, the women lifted the spirit of the residents in the community that there is need to fight.
Immediately after the protest they marched back home to strategize on what must be done. Few of the activists, youths, socialist etc who joined at the cause of the agitation. Around 4pm that same day. A mass meeting was called to review the protest, congratulate the women and discuss strategy to enhance and better build the resistance in the community. Meanwhile, restoring the light back also have it own concern.
Perhaps, fundamental questions of fighting against the ridiculous and scrupulous crazy bill, illegal disconnection and demand for prepaid metre were boiling issues at the meeting. Suggestions and what to do done came up. Different comments, proposals were put forward to move on with the struggle. The enthusiasm and passion of the women fully dominated the meeting, were they said this exploitation must come to an end.
That the country is mounting one heavy burden on their families. The company in the other hand is doing their own. That this is not the time to lament but for everyone both the men and the youth to come out en-mass to resist this exploitation and fight for free prepaid metre now. Community Leaders, Activists, Socialist Fighters representing different organizations who were at the meeting also came up with some technical and tactical suggestions to add to the collective resolutions.
Interestingly, the women on their tune state that we are not going back until something is done to resolve this pounding to death crazy bill issued to us in the community. Just like an old woman who came out to spoke in yoruba dialect said. "ta ba ja ama ma ri ise. Awon nepa (EKEDC) wo da. Bill ton muwa o ti po ju". Another said. "my people mek we no keep our mouth close oh! Dis na de time to come outside to stop dis nonsense".
However, since the privatization of the industry for five years now. Hundreds of protest are breaking out virtually everyday in different communities in Nigeria. All the customers in Ikeja, Lagos, Ibadan etc are demaning the samething. Free prepaid metre, no to crazy bill, stable power supply, cancellation of all outstanding bills etc. Above all, the renationalization of the power sector under the democratic control and management by both workers and the customers, remain the ultimate demand in the lip of campaigns against darkness.
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Copyright @Fidel Davy
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