Oscarline Onwuemenyi
17 November 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has decried the safety record of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), describing the 14 deaths and five injuries it recorded in 2016 as worrisome.
The Acting Chairman of NERC, Dr. Anthony Akah, expressed the worry in a statement by Dr. Usman Arabi, the Head Public Affairs Department of NERC, in Abuja, frowned at EEDC’s violation of its standards on performance, saying its flagrant violation/disregard of the commission’s directives on mass disconnection of communities and high incidences of high estimated billing were caused by poor metering of its customers.
Akah, who spoke at the commissioning of the 17th NERC Forum Office in Owerri, Imo State, said: “It is on record that within the period of January to September, 2016, EEDC recorded over 2,466 unresolved electricity complaints from electricity customers who were dissatisfied with services rendered.”
He said that the Owerri office would help to ensure that electricity supply complaints and resolution were fastly handled. Opening of forum offices fell in the second stage in the commission’s redress making procedure. It handles unresolved complaints from the customers care unit of electricity distribution companies.
He expressed dismay over alleged disregard of the commission’s directives on mass disconnection of communities and high incidences of high estimated billing resulting from inadequate electricity metering of its customers.
He said among the various violation of EEDC was its failure to submit inventory data for 2016 to the commission; hence it was slammed a fine of N13 million.
Akah said it was on record that from January to September, EEDC recorded over 2,466 unresolved electricity complaints from customers who were dissatisfied with services rendered.
He said NERC would open its 17th forum office to ensure speedy resolution of complaints by electricity customers within EEDC’s network, adding that members of the forum were appointed among representatives of all classes of customers, including industrial, commercial and residential.
Akah said the forum was devoid of class, adding that electricity customers across the country must desist from taking electricity complaints to court.
He urged customers with electricity issues to approach the forum when dissatisfied.
According to him, growth and development of the electricity sector remains a joint responsibility of both operators and electricity customers.