The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) is set to commence customers enumeration exercise within its franchise area. IBEDC franchise area comprises of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, and parts of Kwara, Kogi, and Niger states.
According to Fortunato Leynes, managing director of the company, the enumeration exercise will allow the electricity distribution company to really determine the number of customers of the company.
Leynes, an engineer, who put the current customers at 1.1 million, says a lot of customers are not connected to the company’s network, saying “we discovered that a lot of customers are not connected and using electricity without paying, once the enumeration is completed, we will make them legitimate customers.”
The IBEDC boss, who spoke with journalists after a knowledge sharing programme tagged “Journey to Change” organised by the company in Ibadan, notes that it is estimated that the number of customers would double or be more after the exercise.
While saying that the company is making efforts to improve service in the last nine months it took over, he discloses that IBEDC has been buying distribution materials like poles and conductors that would help improve distribution service.
“We are also buying meters, so that our customers who do not have meters will be metered, and right now we have many meter applications,” he says.
The meters, he points out, could be gotten through Credited Advance Payment For Metering Implementation (CAPMI) scheme in which customers would make initial deposit and the company would refund the deposit over a period of 36 months with corresponding interest.
He assures that once there is enough supply coupled with improvement in the company’s electrical facilities, customers in the franchise area would enjoy at least 15 hours regular power supply, instead of the present 10 hours.
The deputy managing director of IBEDC, John Darlington, says the company is making frantic efforts to give customers quality service delivery, but the challenges are enormous.
“But if we can get the right people, attitude, technology and there is discipline, in two to three years, the difference will be clear,” Darlington says.
The knowledge sharing programme had in attendance vice chancellor, University of Ibadan, Isaac Folorunso Adewole, as special guest, Abayomi Olarinmoye, managing director, Energy and Natural Resources Group, Accenture, as moderator, and Tayo Aduloju, executive director, Institute of Workforce Development, as guest speaker with the theme:”Strategic Transformation Imperatives: From Public to Private Enterprise.”
The vice chancellor, who emphasised the importance of electricity in all sectors, says “with stable power supply as a country we have the key to unlock a lot of potentials,” and uses an illustration in which all other continents in the world have light whereas Africa continent, except South Africa, is in the dark.
Adewole, who asked the IBDEC to make a difference in the country, notes that “all we want is good service and uninterrupted power supply.”
Each staff of the company, he stresses, represents a success story, saying they must be focused and work together.
REMI FEYISIPO
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
