By Ishaq Haruna Hardawa
The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC in collaboration with National Orientation Agency NOA have Organise a 3 day Electricity Customer Complaints Resolution Meeting held at the event Center Bauchi.
Speaking at the Forum the Commissioner Consumer affairs Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission Aisha Mahmud said the meeting is an avenue for interaction on how the service provider JED is performing and identify areas that need improvement for consumers to get value for their money.
Hajiya Aisha Mahmud who was represented by Zubair Babatunde enjoined participants to speak their minds to enable the Commission and the service provider address their challenges.
She said the session would have two presentation on consumer right and obligation and metering process.
” We understand that your service provider that is Jos Electricity Distribution Company are mean to educate you on your right and obligation, we thought you are doing more but we think you should be doing more and better than what you are doing. We want to hear from you how the service provider has been performing so that we can brainstorm on the areas that need improvement”
In a remark the Managing Director Jos Electricity Distribution Company Engineer Mamanlafiya Umar said the company’s inability to metered all the customers at the same time was as a result of challenges beyond their control.
” For us metering is key, it’s first and foremost a way of measuring what we are selling so that at the end of the day everybody is happy”
Engineer Mamanlafiya Umar maintain that for customers that can not wait for the metering scheme of the Discos, can buy the meter from the vendors to be refunded overtime.
“The issues of meter assets provider MAP is an interim provision for the customer to have opportunity to acquired meters otherwise we have programme to meter the customers but because that is not rapid enough the MAP assets provider scheme was put in place by the regulator, what it does is, the customer can acquire meter through the vendor and we as DISCO have responsibility to refund the customer through energy credit over time”
He warned staff of the company that, anyone caught shortchanging the customers would be properly sanctions.
The Chief Executive Officer, JED appeal to both staff and electricity consumers to adhere strictly to safety protocols to avoid any injury or casualties Incase of electricity network challenges.
In a remark the Emir of Bauchi Dr Rilwanu Sulemanu Adamu express displeasure over low supply of electricity to some part of Bauchi Metropolitan city.
Dr Rilwanu Sulemanu Adamu who was represented by Danejin Bauchi Alhaji Lawal Baba Maaji said the situation is affecting small scale businesses in the affected areas and urge JED to address the situation.
“There has to be an everlasting solution on how to ensure that this problem is solved, this energy borders on means of livelihood to every citizens”
He commended the organisers for given the customers opportunity to make their complaints for necessary action.
Dr Rilwanu Sulemanu Adamu appeal to electricity Consumers to attend the forum en Masa for their complaints to be addressed.
The Emir of Bauchi also appeal to JED company to employ more staff to cope with the workload in serving their customers efficiently.
Dr Rilwanu Sulemanu Adamu call on traditional title holders to enlightened their subject, that energy theft and vandalism of electrical installation are criminal offence.
On her part Bridget Ette from Federal Competition and Consumer protection commission said the events is aim at bridging gap between consumers and service providers in the electricity industry as enshrined under section 17 of the Federal Competition and Consumer protection commission act 2018.
” Electricity is not merely commodity is a vital service that powers livelihood, business and progress however the industry continue to grabble with persistent issues such as insufficient metering, billing inaccuracies and infrastructures challenges all of which requires urgent and collaborative solutions”
In his speech the Bauchi State Director National Orientation Agency Alhaji Nasiru Mahe said the meeting underscores the commitment of the present administration in addressing customers concerns in the power sector across the State.
Some of the cunsumers zuwaira Garba, Alhaji Bello Almustapha, Malam Abdullahi Limanci and Ishaku Muhammad Complain on low power supply, Over billing, power surge, compensation for lost hours among others.
The Customer Complaints Resolution Meeting is organise quarterly by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC to address concerns from the electricity consumers in Nigeria.
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