Acting chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Anthony Akah, on Monday, decried the worrisome safety records of accidents within the Enugu Electricity Distribution Network (EEDC) operational network, where 14 deaths and five injuries had been recorded in 2016 alone.
Akah also frowned at EEDC’s violation of its performance agreements, noting that its flagrant violation and disregard of NERC’s directives on mass disconnection of communities as well as high incidences of high estimated billing resulting from inadequate electricity metering of its customers were unacceptable.
Among these violation was EEDC’s failure to submit inventory data for 2016 to the commission, mandating NERC to slammed it with a fine of N13 million this year.
Commenting further on other service failures by the utility company, Akah said, “it is on record that within the period of January to September, 2016, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company recorded over 2,466 unresolved electricity complaints from electricity customers who were dissatisfied with services rendered.’’
However, in ensuring that electricity customers within EEDC’s operational network get quick resolution of their electricity service complaints, the commission announced the establishment of the Owerri Electricity Customer Complaints Forum Office.
This makes it the 17th of the forum offices to be opened, which represent the second stage in the NERC’s redress making procedures by handling unresolved complaints from customer care units of electricity distribution companies.
Members of the forum offices are appointed among representatives of all customers’ classes including industrial, commercial and residential customers.
Justifying the Commission’s decision to establish more of such forum offices, Akah said, ‘’ This Forum Office is no respecter of class, rights are equal’.’
He called on electricity customers across the country to desist from taking electricity complaints to court, further advising those with electricity issues to approach the forum when dissatisfied with a Disco’s action.
According to him, a situation where the forum office is by-passed by consumers for the court, the court will not allow the commission to do its duties in that regard, even as he explained that Discos can also bring complaints against customers.
Meanwhile electricity customers within the EEDC distribution network have expressed their concern regarding the amount of time taken by the company to resolve electricity supply issue, calling dissatisfactory.
The customers also reacted to an announcement by the EEDC’s on its planned meter rollout that would see to the injection of about 100,000 meters into its network on an annual basis for the next 5 years.
They insisted that they were going to monitor the company in the regard to ensure that they keep their promise to consumers.
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