OpeOluwani Akintayo
29 January 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC has said provision of consumer forum accommodation by the Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos across the country does not in any way influence its handling of customer disputes.
NERC cleared the air through his official Twitter handle, @NERC on Monday following accusations that allowing DisCos provide offices for the forums, has been to the disadvantages of electricity consumers.
Whenever an electricity customer wants to make a complaint, the first point of call is the Customer Complaints Unit, CCU, of the DisCos responsible for supplying electricity to his/her area.
However, where such customer is dissatisfied with the outcome of the handling of his complaint(s) by the CCU or encounters delay/failure in the handling of such complaints, such complaint(s) may be referred to the NERC Consumer Forum opened in each state across Nigeria.
According to the commission, its regulatory framework mandates Discos to provide suitable accommodation and other facilities for the forum secretariats, while NERC, on the other hand, is mandated to appoint the forum members and deploy a staff as forum secretary.
The Secretary provides support services for the effective operations of the forum in dispute resolution.
However, although the DisCos provide accommodation, NERC said it “further provides the running cost for the Secretariat and the Forum operations”.
“Discos’s provision of office accommodation and the facility is a one-off expenditure and does not in any way compromise the Forum handling of dispute resolution”, it said.
The Commission added that the appeal in form of petition could be made to its offices if any of the parties in dispute is dissatisfied with the Forum decision.
