Concerned Irigwe youths have called for the immediate restoration of electricity supply to Miango town in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, lamenting that the community has remained without public power supply for 11 years.
The youths made the demand on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council Secretariat in Jos. The statement was read by their spokesman, Mr. Bitrus Adamu Izhi, on behalf of the group.
According to the youths, Miango, located about 20 miles west of Jos, was disconnected from electricity supply by the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) in 2015 over outstanding debts allegedly owed by electricity consumers in the community.
They said records showed that before a meeting with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Abuja in December 2016, the registered customer population in Miango stood at 682, while the outstanding post-privatisation debt was N51.418 million. The youths said the debt was later reconciled and reduced to N38 million as of June 2017.
The group explained that, following NERC’s intervention, the N38 million debt was to be migrated and shared among metered individual customers in Miango, adding that consumers had so far remitted N28 million, leaving a balance of N10 million.
However, the youths alleged that a committee constituted by the District Head of Miango, Mr. Daniel Chega, to mobilise residents towards settling the debt instead established and registered the Miango Community Energy Project Enterprise. They claimed the company subsequently entered into an arrangement with JEDC to collect electricity payments from consumers.
According to the group, JEDC subsequently suspended individual consumer accounts and created a single account through which the intermediary company collected electricity bills from residents.
The youths alleged that consumers believed funds raised through payments and donations were being used to offset the outstanding debt, but that the arrangement did not resolve the problem.
The Concerned Irigwe Youths further alleged that, as of May 2023, the Miango Community Energy Project Enterprise owed JEDC N194.9 million. They called for the company to account for funds it had collected, while urging that the original N10 million balance attributed to consumers be allowed to be settled once their individual electricity accounts are restored.
They also alleged that efforts by the paramount ruler of Rigweland, the Braa Nggwe Rigwe, Rev. Ronku Aka (rtd.), to resolve the matter were unsuccessful because the committee allegedly failed to account for funds collected on behalf of the people. The youths said the paramount ruler subsequently dissolved the committee.
The youths demanded full disclosure of the company’s financial transactions, restoration of all suspended consumer accounts and an end to dealings between JEDC and the Miango Community Energy Project Enterprise concerning electricity consumers in Miango. They also appealed to Governor Caleb Mutfwang to intervene by setting up an investigative committee to examine the matter and determine the roles played by the company and JEDC.
The group further called for relevant anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the police, to investigate the matter and prosecute anyone found culpable.
The youths also announced plans for a peaceful protest to draw attention to the prolonged blackout, urging the media and other stakeholders to support their campaign for the restoration of electricity in Miango.
