Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EKEDC) has warned its customers to desist from vandalising and tampering with its equipment or face five to seven years imprisonment.
Dr Tinuade Sanda, the Chief Executive Officer (EKEDC), made the appeal during a customer engagement forum organised by the company on Thursday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that customers at the forum were drawn from Orile District areas including Surulere, Aguda, Coker, Orile, Ikate, Animashaun, Eric more and Doyin zones.
Sanda, who was represented by Mrs Rekhiat Momoh, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, said that the town hall became necessary to intimate customers within the Orile network on the high rate of energy theft and equipment vandalism perpetuated by some customers in the communities.
She said that the meeting showed the company’s empathy to consumers as one of its core value and to listen to their complaints and profer solutions.
Sanda warned its customers to desist from engaging in illegal connection to avoid facing the full wrath of the law.
The CEO appealed to electricity consumers and stakeholders to report anyone found engaged in illegal use of energy without billing.
She said that the company had recorded some improvements in area of metring and effective service delivery within its network.
Sanda said that equipments vandalism has been a serious challenge among customers within the central business unit in area like Orile, Apapa, ijora and Mushin.
According to her, vandalism is rampant within customers arround business central.
“The company is lossing close to a billion Naira on vandalism within its network.
“The transformer is most vandalised and when a transformer is vandalised, over a million Naira is spent to replace such.
“Almost on weekly basis, we are experiencing transformer vandalism in the central circuit business of Eko Distribution Company.
“The ricocheting effect will not only impede progress in the power sector and affect revenue, but will also erode the quality of electricity supply to our customers,” Sanda explained.
She warned of dire sanctions for offenders, and noted it is a punishable offence under Section 94(3) of the EPSRA Act 2005.
According to her, culprits are liable to imprisonment for five to seven years.
She said that about 90 persons had been appended for equipments vandalism to date.
The EKEDC helmsman said the measure became necessary against the backdrop of about a billion lost to various forms of energy theft and vandalism in the zone.
She warned: “Any act of infraction will be met with a stiff penalty. Enough is enough; Eko Disco will no longer tolerate this act of illegal tampering of our equipment and electrical installations.
“Tampering with Eko Disco meters, installations, distribution lines, equipment or assault on any field worker will attract a jail term.
“The management of EKEDC will no longer handle these actions with kid gloves; this is no empty threat. If you disregard this warning, you do so at your own risk ,” she added.
The EKEDC boss said it cost the company a huge amount to replace vandalised equipment and meters damaged by customers in a bid to bypass the meters.
On metring, Sanda said that company had metered about
435,000 customers within the network.
She said that the company still had a metering gap and its seriously working toward closing the gaps.
“We plan to install about 42,000 before the end of the year.
“EKEDC install 7,000 meters on monthly basis,” she said.
Mr Lateef Olaogun, Chairman, Coker/Aguda, Community Development commended the disco on effective service delivery and appealed to customers within the network to embrace metring process to reduce estimated billing.
Olaogun advised electricity customers to assist the company in arresting equipments vandals.
Also, Mr Akeem Ojora, who represented Fatai Ojora, Oba of Ijora, lauded Eko Disco for prompt response to faults and effective service delivery within its network.
Ojora urged customers to embrace peaceful dialogue in addressing issues affecting them than being violence.(NAN)
